PROFESSIONAL photographer John Rose paid for two hours’ parking during a business meeting which then ran late.

But when he tried to top up by phone for an extra hour’s parking using the MiPermit system, he couldn’t believe what he heard.

Although he was in a three-hour car park at The Maltings, he could not buy one more hour’s parking.

He had to pay the Wiltshire Council minimum, £2.20 for two hours.

However, he could only stay at the car park for one hour, otherwise he would get a penalty ticket for overstaying in a short-stay space.

Mr Rose, from Winterslow, said: “So although I paid for four hours in total, I was only allowed to stay for three.

“You can’t pay for an extra hour at the parking machine either, because they don’t do one-hour tickets any more. You have to pay the full three hours at the outset, that’s the only way.

“MiPermit is a fantastic idea but this is just another problem arising from doing away with one-hour parking. It seems completely stupid. They have not really thought it through.”

He added: “I was at a meeting at the Red Lion the other day which started at 5.30pm. I had to pay for two hours’ parking to cover the half-hour till 6pm. There weren’t any on-street spaces free near the hotel and I didn’t have time to drive round and round Salisbury looking for one.”

Mr Rose’s business is based at East Tytherley, but he is moving it to Old Sarum at the end of the month. He said: “I chose it because there are no parking charges there, so people can come and see me in my office and it won’t cost them any money.

“It’s the businesses in Salisbury I’m sorry for. It’s certainly limited the number of times I go in.”