Hotel and restaurant guests are being fined for parking in their hotel’s own car park.

Guests at the Priory Hotel and Restaurant in Caerleon have been receiving fines for parking in the onsite guest car park.

Drivers have ten minutes from the moment they enter the car park to go inside and enter their registration details in an online system.

Once you enter your details, you should be covered for the entire day thereafter.

However, problems have been occurring where guests have not been able to type them in within the ten-minute time frame, for example if there is a queue.

Some people, such as local man Tony Jermyn, have been fined £100 just for ‘calling in to buy gift vouchers for friends.’

He said: “I only called in to buy gift vouchers for friends. We were there for 12 minutes in a queue.

“Then I received a letter yesterday advising we had been fined £100 which is absolutely ridiculous. The Priory won't be seeing us again.”

Others such as Kim Hames said: “I've had two of these fines in as many weeks - one from the Harvester on Malpas Road and the other from the Priory.

“Both establishments had proof I had spent money and that I had also logged in correctly and both places had the fines removed.

“I will be very reluctant to risk parking anywhere that uses this parking company from now on. It is way too much hassle.”

A spokesperson for the Priory explained that the installation of these parking restrictions is due to their location in the village, with many previously taking advantage of their free parking.

“Due to our prime location in Caerleon, close to historic visitor attractions, our private car park has been frequently used by visitors to the area, leaving no room for our valued hotel and restaurant customers and causing traffic problems in the village,” he said.

“To address this issue, we were left with no alternative but to partner with National Parking Control Group (NPC) to ensure that our car park is reserved exclusively for our guests.

“The priory has always been an integral part of the Caerleon community and we will ensure that parking remains free for guests of The Priory.

“But in order to ensure that our free car park is not abused at the detriment of our guests and our business, customers are now required to enter their vehicle registration on the iPad located at the hotel or restaurant entrance.

“We have installed clear signage throughout the car park, exceeding legal requirements, to ensure all guests are aware of this policy.

“If any guests have received a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) from NPC in error, we will do everything possible to assist them.

“However, if a PCN was issued because a guest failed to enter their registration or did not do so within the 10-minute grace period provided by NPC, they will need to appeal the charge directly with NPC.

“The hotel is happy to provide proof of purchase or residency to support such appeals.”

Other establishments in Caerleon have also started using private car parking companies, such as the Hanbury.

According to Know Your Parking Rights, the private management of car parks is commercially necessary for landholders.

A spokesperson said: “The contracts, and their clauses, are necessary to prevent abuse of private land. This is commercially necessary as the landholder needs to manage their land to ensure that their business can run successfully.

“The terms and conditions of parking on private land are derived from agreements between the landholder and their contractor or car parking management company, and the motorist must comply with these when they park in the car park.”

Therefore the £100 fines being dished out to Priory and Hanbury guests, are down to decisions made by both the landlord and the parking company.

To avoid parking fines in Caerleon, visitors can park for free in the car park on Cold Bath Road or the Fosse near the Roman Amphitheatre.

There are also street parking options along the high street.