A Christmas miracle! Joy as hated parking meter removed from community pub's car park
A pub has been given the perfect Christmas present after its hated parking meter was removed after 11 months of infuriating the local community.
The mechanical Scrooge at The Firs in Castlecroft saw customers turn away from the Wolverhampton pub in droves.
First installed in February the meter was meant to give drivers the first 20 minutes free but due to a glitch in the machine's mainframe everyone was fined.
Even drivers who had used the car park to reverse in and out of were sent demands for £60 and then escalating nasty letters wanting £100 and threats of court action. Diners who took their time over their dinner even discovered red letters on their doormats.
Marston's, the pub's owners, defended parking firm Parkier Park and told everyone who had been fined it would be cancelled. However, many are still fighting the parking company.
Last week member of the band Black Sheep, who performed at The Firs, was fined and then after being promised it would be cancelled was hounded by the parking company.
The pub's car park charges also caused discord in the community with local shops losing trade as their customers were fined for using a car park they had been using for years.
