The Empire Bingo Club in Blackburn Road, Lancashire has hit out at car parking firm for charging 7 customers £75 each where an agreement had been reached for bingo patrons to use the land.

The bingo club claim they had an informal arrangement to use the neighbouring car park at Furnituremax as overspill, only for £525 in fines to be issued to their customers on their busiest night of the week.

Bingo players were shocked to see that fines had been issued at 8.30pm when the furniture shop was closed. The agreement was that the bingo club could use the car park in the evening.

Stephen Bradley, the manager at the Empire Bingo club commented: “It’s clearly unfair. They chose the busiest night of the week, after people had gotten used to using it.

Furnituremax added that the car parking firm, Accrington-based Car Park Management was responsible for issuing the fines. The furniture shop has paid the fines off on the bingo customers’ behalf. It claims that it has no control over the private car parking firm’s issue of fines on the land, as they only lease it.

Mark Ruge a spokesperson for Furnituremax confirmed there was an agreement to use the car park after 7pm. He added: “We had no problem with parking at night but strugggled with people parking in the day. We contacted the landowner to see about car park management.

“Unfortunately the firm they chose won’t keep to any select times. We let the bingo know this, but not all the customers were aware. We have paid the fines but people should know they can’t use the car park from now on.”

Bradley added: “We do appreciate Furnituremax paying the fines, however it is not the first time the car park company have targeted us. It’s crazy.”

A member of the club, Derek Wolfenden, said: “It did give some of the old age pensioners quite a fright. It’s clear they weren’t doing anything wrong. I would like to thank Mark Ruge at Furniture Max for helping them out.”