A GRIEVING family is being threatened with court action after failing to enter the correct details in a car park.

Ged Akister, a construction manager from Flookburgh, was issued a parking ticket after using Cartmel car park for failing to input his registration number.

The 59-year-old, who now lives in Dorset, was in the area after his mother-in-law, who lived in a cottage on the Holker Estate for over 60 years, died before lockdown in March.

Mr Akister said: "My Mother-in-law Mrs Fisher sadly passed away just before the lockdown in March.

"We have been affected as a family by Covid, having lost one family member, plus our daughter is still suffering with long Covid.

"Mr and Mrs Fisher lived on Holker Estate in a tied cottage for over 60 years, as Mr Fisher worked for Lord and Lady Cavendish after the war until he retired.

"We were unable to bury Mrs Fisher's ashes (as she requested) until September due to Covid restrictions.

"After finally laying her to rest we were going with family members to Holker tea rooms for lunch, when we arrived there we realised that it was the Chilli Festival, therefore it was too busy.

"We decided to go to Cartmel instead, where we parked in the racecourse carpark.

"I put the money in the machine just like all the other machines we had used in the week, what I did not do was to enter my car registration as there was no signage asking me to and I had not had to do this at any other machines."

After failing to enter his car registration, Mr Akister was sent a parking ticket in the post threatening court action if it was not paid.

He said: "We were a party of seven that day and each person can vouch for me paying and receiving a valid ticket.

"Now we are being threatened with bailiffs and court action - I feel this is very unjust. "We were very surprised as it was months later and couldn't believe it "There is no signage on display alongside the machine."

A spokeswoman for Cartmel car park's manager, HX Car Park Management, is urging drivers to read the signage and said they do everything possible to ensure motorists comply to the terms and conditions.

A spokeswoman for Cartmel Racecourse and the wider Holker Group said: "We are aware of issues being raised around the management of the Cartmel Village Carpark by HX Car Park Management Ltd and we understand these concerns. As we are currently under contract with HX Car Park Management Ltd it is not possible for us to make any further comment at this time."