Motorist, 52, is fined £185 after she pulled over and adjusted her wing mirror for 41 seconds in a 'no stopping zone' at East Midlands Airport

  • Jessica Blower is the latest driver to get a penalty at the airport in Leicestershire 
  • She was fined despite stopping for less than a minute to ensure her car was safe 
  • UPS employee insists she's happy to fight the 'disgusting' case at county court 
  • Airport says there are clear signs telling people not to stop on red-routed roads 

A woman who stopped for just 41 seconds to adjust her wing mirror near an airport has been fined £185.

Jessica Blower, who works at East Midlands, stopped as she left to head home after her shift, having realised someone had pushed in the mirror on the passenger side of her car.

After making sure her vehicle was safe, she discovered she'd been hit with a penalty - and despite her protests, the enforcement company has refused to back down, Nottinghamshire Live reports.

Mrs Blower, who is employed by logistics giant UPS, has provided her identification card, car parking pass and her payslips to prove she works at the site - but has been threatened with county court action if she does not pay it immediately. 

Jessica Blower, pictured, has vowed to fight her case in court after being fined for pulling her car over for 41 seconds to adjust her wing mirror at East Midlands Airport

Jessica Blower, pictured, has vowed to fight her case in court after being fined for pulling her car over for 41 seconds to adjust her wing mirror at East Midlands Airport

The 52-year-old's car stopped briefly in a zone 'where stopping is prohibited' as she made her way home from work

The 52-year-old's car stopped briefly in a zone 'where stopping is prohibited' as she made her way home from work

The 52-year-old has vowed to fight her case in court as she and her partner Carl Bird, 49, believe the fine is unfair.

It is the latest in a series of similar incidents at the airport, with a number of drivers being asked to cough up for dropping off and picking up passengers at the nearby petrol station, though one mother did manage to win an appeal against her £60 fine. 

Mr Bird said: 'I think it is just disgusting. They really need to look at the situation. She stopped for 41 seconds to make sure her car was safe. I think it is just shocking - you try and earn some money and go to work and this happens.'

Mrs Blower added: 'The only reason I stopped was because of my wing mirror. Sometimes we can't get out of our car park because of taxis so I can understand why the airport are doing it but they are fining the wrong people.

'People at work don't bother going to the petrol station anymore because they know if they stop it will result in a ticket.

A map showing the location of East Midlands Airport and the BP petrol station, where a number of drivers have been fined for dropping off and picking up passengers

A map showing the location of East Midlands Airport and the BP petrol station, where a number of drivers have been fined for dropping off and picking up passengers

'We are not going to pay it and if they want to take us to court I am happy to go to court. I am not paying for something like this.

'The whole system needs to be looked at. They have no interaction with these people. They just pull up, take a photo, and then fine them.'

Mrs Blower pulled over to adjust her mirror and was fined for 'stopping in a zone where stopping is prohibited'.

She said: 'As I left the premises to return home after my shift, I noticed that someone had pushed in the passenger side wing mirror and I had to pull over immediately to pull it out.

'I need to use the wing mirrors as I do not feel safe using the vehicle on the public highway and motorways without the use of them.

Airport bosses insist signs are clearly visible reminding people not to stop on red-routed roads

Airport bosses insist signs are clearly visible reminding people not to stop on red-routed roads 

'I pulled over in the lay-by to simply get out of my vehicle, go round to the passenger side, adjust the wing mirror, and return to my car to travel home.'

A spokesman for East Midlands Airport said: 'The safety of people working on the airport site is of paramount importance and controlling the traffic flow on estate roads is key to this.

'All roads across the airport estate are patrolled regularly and signage is clearly visible reminding people not to stop on red-routed roads.

'The airport site is busy 24 hours-a-day and roads need to kept clear at all times for passengers arriving by car and to allow heavy goods vehicles access to the overnight cargo operators.'

Vehicle Control Services was approached for comment.

Dozens of other people caught by East Midlands Airport parking rules 

Jessica Blower is certainly not the first driver to be hit with a fine for stopping a car in the vicinity of the airport estate - there have been a string of similar incidents reported in the last few months.

The parking fine was issued by a company called Vehicle Control Services Ltd (VCS Ltd). Paul Hayes (pictured above)

Paul Hayes (pictured above) was fined by Vehicle Control Services for stopping at the petrol station, though his charge was later dropped

Paul Hayes, from Ratby Leicestershire, expressed dismay last August about the fine that was levied after he says he stopped to fill his car with petrol at the airport and went into the shop afterwards.

'I had filled up the car with petrol and we went into the shop,' Hayes said. 'I came out and moved forward, to let the person behind me in, because they were queuing. My passenger came out about two minutes later, and someone in a van had taken a picture of me getting in the car. 

'I wasn't parking up at the airport, so basically they've had me for filling up petrol,' Hayes said.

'This is ridiculous, I'm very angry, a couple of years ago I had a heart attack and a cardiac arrest, I'm supposed to stay calm but this isn't helping me,' he added.

Hayes had used the petrol station as it was the nearest after going out for a meal with a member of his family in July.

The parking fine was issued by a company called Vehicle Control Services Ltd (VCS Ltd).

Hayes said an initial appeal against the fine was rejected. The charge was later dropped. 

 
Louise Stevens, 54, from Littleover, Derbyshire (pictured) was also fined for using the filling station at East Midlands Airport. She claims the punishment was unjust

Louise Stevens, 54, from Littleover, Derbyshire (pictured) was also fined for using the filling station at East Midlands Airport. She claims the punishment was unjust

Louise Stevens, 54, from Littleover, Derbyshire said she was fined the same month after she parked at the petrol station for two minutes so she could get a quick bite to eat.

She claims she went to the short stay car park to pick up her daughter and her friend who had been on holiday in Portugal.

Stevens said she was shocked to receive a £100 parking bill through her door for 'stopping at a zone where stopping is prohibited'.

The 54-year-old said she parked in an area which had no red lines or signs next to it.

CCTV images on her letter from Vehicle Control Services Ltd show her car parked near double red lines, but not on or next to them.

A CCTV van captured this image of Ms Stevens's car using the same service station as Ms Pickering

A CCTV van captured this image of Ms Stevens's car using the same service station as Ms Pickering

'I was literally a few minutes in the petrol station and parked in the only place I could see there were no red lines, however they are saying I am parked illegally. This is just daylight robbery,' Stevens said.

'This petrol station is profiting from innocent people and should be held accountable. How can you possibly issue fines to customers of your business?' she added. 

 

On July 11, Sharon and Geoffrey Palmer, both 69, stopped to fill their car at the airport's petrol station before being dropped off at the rapid drop-off zone, where their daughter drove the car home.

However, on their return from their week-long holiday in Salou, Spain, they were horrified to find a £60 fine, rising to £100 if left unpaid. 

 

Gordon Jackson from Chellaston and Tajdar Kamal from Normanton were also fined after they were seen picking up airport passengers in their cars from the garage.

Tajdar Kamal from Normanton has called for the station to be shut down and says he has been left so annoyed that he will no longer pick up his friends from the airport after he received a £100 bill (pictured above)

Tajdar Kamal from Normanton has called for the station to be shut down and says he has been left so annoyed that he will no longer pick up his friends from the airport after he received a £100 bill (pictured above)

Kamal has called for the station to be shut down and says he has been left so annoyed that he will no longer pick up his friends from the airport after he received a £100 bill.  

 

Terry Tunnicliffe, 77, complained to Vehicle Control Services Ltd after he received a fine at the airport after stopping for petrol at the same time as dropping a passenger off. 

77-year-old Terry Tunnicliffe was left angry after he was sent a £100 fine for dropping off at East Midlands Airport petrol station. (Pictured with his fuel receipt)

77-year-old Terry Tunnicliffe was left angry after he was sent a £100 fine for dropping off at East Midlands Airport petrol station. (Pictured with his fuel receipt)

 

John Baines said he received a £100 penalty charge notice for stopping for just one minute, a claim he says is backed up by CCTV evidence.

Baines said he had pulled into a service yard at East Midlands Airport to read a text to say his daughter was ready to be picked up.

'I turned around and returned to the pick up point after paying £4 the first time around to leave without daughter then another £3 second time around when I picked her up,' he said. 

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