A strange row has erupted after a man in Wiltshire was fined for leaving the car park that he had legally parked in.

St Stephen’s Place Leisure Park in Trowbridge allows motorist three hours of free parking but small print on signs warns that if drivers leave the car park whilst the vehicle remains, they will be eligible for a fine.

An anonymous driver received such a fine after leaving to use a cash machine, according to the Wiltshire Times, leading to calls for the car park to be boycotted.

They posted on Spotted Trowbridge saying: “I can recall the attendant on the day just starting his shift. We arrived and left the car to get some cash first.

“Is anyone in the same situation? Did you appeal?”

The site last month introduced new automatic number plate recognition cameras after recently being sold to a French based company for £11.37 million, but it is not believed that they played in any role in the issuing of fines based on people leaving the car park.

The car park website’s most recent update said: “Please note that the cameras are solely designed to read vehicle registration numbers and do not have facial recognition functionality.”

The car park, which is managed by UK Parking Control, issued the driver with a £100 fine reduced to £60 if paid within two weeks.

The car park is surrounded by several restaurants, shops and a Premier Inn hotel, with many social media users calling for these to be boycotted to apply pressure on the car park management to rescind the fine and remove the restriction.

Someone with the username Pizzagolf added: “Boycott all the businesses and they will remove the parking company!”

Paul Millard posted: “I would go as far to suggest that everyone should boycott the car park entirely.”

Others commented that users should take more care to read the rules when using a car park and that whether or not they agree with the rules, they should still abide by them.

UKPC has now confirmed to the Wiltshire Times that drivers who are not customers of the facilities will be charged if they are spotted walking off the site and their vehicle is identified.

The employee, who does not wish to be named, said: “It is all camera controlled now for the tickets and everything.

“We don’t get involved in that. All we look after now is the disabled bays, out of bay parking and anybody who leaves site.

“If people park there and then walk off into the town, they will then get issued with a ticket.”