A CHIP shop owner who represented NHS staff battling a private parking firm over fines failed in his bid to have the fines overturned.

Barry Beavis, who launched a campaign against parking firms after losing his own battle in court, represented nurses and doctors at the University Hospital of Wales, in Cardiff, after they racked up penalty charges of nearly £13million from car park operator Indigo.

He got involved after The Taff Ely Parking Action Group, which was helping the doctors and nurses, got in touch.

Mr Beavis, 49, owner of the Happy Haddock, in Morris Avenue, Billericay, says there is inadequate room for staff in the hospital’s multiple car parks and tickets have been slapped on staff cars as their shifts overrun.

He said: “I lost a high profile parking case which went to the Supreme Court and since I have advised Government and represented a couple of people in court with some success.

“These tickets were issued in May last year. The trust issued 8,500 permits for 1,800 parking spaces. That’s five permits per space even taking into account holidays and shifts. The scheme is unfit for purpose.”

The ruling by District Judge Clare Coates came on Friday after a three-day hearing at Cardiff Civil Justice Centre. The case involved three workers - Stephen Dadswell, Emily Booth and Sophie Round - who Indigo say have each racked up more than 100 parking tickets.

The result is also binding on 72 other cases, leaving them with a bill of £39,000 plus £26,000 in legal costs. It leaves the company poised to enforce thousands more tickets which remain unpaid.

Mr Beavis said : “There is quite literally now a bottom drawer somewhere full of tickets which have been issued which they will now take action on - 100,000 at £128 each, or £12.8 million.”

Mr Beavis, from Chelmsford, was charged £85 by PrivateEye for overstaying his two hours free parking at the Riverside Retail Park in April 2013 by nearly an hour. He lost a Supreme Court appeal in 2015.

A spokesman for Indigo said it acted against a “small group of persistent offenders” with the support of the health board.