A 73-year-old man has been left furious after receiving a £100 fine for eating an ice cream in a car park at a UK beauty spot. Colin Beck was visiting the New Forest with his wife when they stopped at Godshill Cricket forestry car park near Fordingbridge.
After buying two Mr Whippys, the seller told them they had just 15 minutes to eat them before they would have to leave. The couple lingered for less than 10 minutes before resuming their journey, but a £100 fine from the Forestry Commission later arrived in the post.
Parking charges introduced in April
Parking charges were only introduced in the national park in April, priced at £1.50 for one hour, £3 for two hours, £5 for four hours and £8 for over four hours.
Mr Beck described the fine as 'crazy' and told Forestry England to 'get stuffed'. He said: "It's another way of screwing the motorists. It must have cost them a fortune to put in all the notices, the ones that do have car park machines, all that sort of stuff."
Accusation of safety hazard
He added: "It's just crazy. The New Forest is meant to be free place, and I feel sorry for the guys that have got the ice cream businesses, because it must have hit them really hard."
The 73-year-old accused Forestry England of encouraging visitors to "buy an ice cream and then drive along the road eating it", potentially causing a safety hazard.
Forestry England response
A spokesperson for Forestry England said drivers are given around 15 minutes of parking time before they have to pay, with rangers monitoring car parks to enforce the rule. They said they did not dictate how visitors passed their time during that period, adding that clear signage was visible explaining the terms and a "pay later" option.
Mr Beck said he is hoping to appeal the fine and see it withdrawn.
