A ROW has broken out after a pub slapped at least 10 tickets on cars parked on its land in a matter of hours.
Bosses at the Kings Arms pub, in Lee Street, decided to ban non-customers from using their car park and ordered private enforcement officers to put £60 fines on unauthorised vehicles.
Staff from nearby firms said they were furious to find their cars had been ticketed and urged the pub to drop the fines.
The car park is popular with town centre workers and some claim they have parked their vehicles there for more than 40 years.
But last week the pub put up red warning signs urging motorists not to park on their land unless they were customers.
People parked there the next morning as usual and returned after work to find £60 fine notices slapped on their windscreens.
At least 10 vehicles had notices on them when an Observer photographer arrived last Thursday lunchtime.
John Ainscough, of the North Lancashire Training Group, said: "A lot of people I know from Connexions in Abbey Street park there.
"Mr wife was one of the people who got a ticket. She was cheesed off as you can imagine.
"People have been using the car park as long as I can remember but now it has changed."
He added: "Of course, it is private land so they can do what they want. But a bit of notice would have been appreciated.
"Connexions does a lot of good work for young people in the town and this is how they are repaid. They should all be refunded."
A carer, who asked not to be named for fear of losing her job, said: "Not only is it bad for workers, it is bad for residents.
"All this will do is make people park in the residential spaces opposite the pub that are needed by elderly people who have walking problems."
The Kings Arms landlady, who refused to identify herself, said: "The first ticket was issued 24 hours after the notice signs were put up.
"When the signs originally went up, there was a full car park of cars but we left them alone."
