A taxi driver who visited a Shell garage in Lewisham for a £4 car wash got a shock when his trip turned into an £104 one after receiving a fine through the post.

Leonard Egbedi is a private hire driver from Manchester and he was driving a client to London when he stopped to wash his car at the Shell garage on Lewisham High Street, on May 13.

Leonard told the News Shopper that he had his car washed and when he tried to leave, the exit was blocked by a petrol tanker.

Leonard said him and other vehicles were all lined up waiting for the truck to move so that they could exit.

By the time Leonard had washed his car, and waited for the tanker to move, he had “parked longer than the maximum period allowed” and so received a PCN.

Leonard told News Shopper that he was shocked to receive the fine as “there were no obvious signs".

He said: "I couldn't see any to my notice.

“If there was any sign it should be on the machine.”

Leonard has appealed the fine, and tried to contact Euro Car Parks, but he says they are “unreachable".

He added: "You can’t reply back to their emails, it is just blocked.”

Euro Car Parks gave Leonard fourteen days to pay the discounted fine of £60 before the full amount of £100 would be owed.

However, appealing the fine has meant Leonard has missed the fourteen-day period, and if it reaches the maximum 28 days to pay, Euro Car Parks say they can “pursue you for the parking fine.”

That pursuit can be as severe as court action.

Leonard explained: “It is very stressful, read the reviews on Google, you will weep.

"I hope other people don't fall victim to this."

Other customers of the Lewisham Shell garage have shared a similar experience, with one Google reviewer commenting “be careful, I used their power wash and other facilities and got a PCN from Euro Car Parks.”

We have contacted Euro Car Parks for comment.