A DRIVER has hit out at the council over its parking meters which has overcharged him three times in the last four months.

Furious Michael Johnson, 60, from Tadley, is calling on Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council to fix the problem at the central car park in town after being left out of pocket.

While the authority has refunded him, Michael says he has been the victim of the faulty system three times since the beginning of lockdown.

The former Royal Mail manager told the Gazette: "I checked in and out but when I got the receipt, the ticket machine deducted £2, which is the parking fee of up to two hours.

"But I was only there for 40 minutes and it's always free for an hour.

"I was very frustrated and wrote to the council and they refunded me.

"How many people are paying the fee but not realising that parking is free for the first hour and paid £2?"

Michael said there is a "system fault" and the council should look into changing it.

He believes that a lot of people across Basingstoke could have lost money with the parking machines.

"If I hadn't checked my bank account, I wouldn't have realised that £2 had been taken.

"I felt scammed and annoyed that I've lost a total of £6 on three separate occasions," Michael said.

The Gazette has contacted Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council (BDBC) for comment.