A VICTORIOUS motorist has won what he has described as a ‘landmark’ case after successfully contesting an unfair parking ticket and being awarded nearly £1,000.

Steven Beswick, aged 46, from Radcliffe, received a parking ticket from Civil Enforcement Ltd (CEL) – 32 days after he was alleged to have parked illegally in Halls Mill Retail Park, off Foundry Street in Bury, in May 2016.

Knowing that the letter had been sent too late to prosecute him, and that the company could not prove he was the driver, Mr Beswick did not respond.

Soon, however, he began to receive letters from solicitors and bailiffs demanding payment of the fine, which rose to more than £320.

Weeks before Mr Beswick was due to go to court, almost one year later, CEL dropped the case.

But Mr Beswick continued with a counter claim against the company for causing him so much stress through breaches of data protection when they passed his details to bailiffs.

CEL did not turn up in court and district judge Osborne sided with Mr Beswick, ordering CEL to pay him £905 - £500 compensation and £405 costs.

Mr Beswick said after the case: “After letter after letter the stress was unreal. I should not have to work 12 hours and then get phone calls from my wife in tears, saying there is yet another letter. The judge said he couldn’t believe what had happened and was disgusted with the company’s behaviour.

“He said it was unfair and unreasonable.

“They didn’t show up because they knew they were wrong.

“The whole thing was horrible.

“It ruined Christmas for me and my family, I was constantly wondering if we could afford this or that because of it hanging over us.

“This is a landmark case. Hopefully this will change things for people.”

CEL has been contacted for a comment.