A frustrated driver says an entire car park of vehicles was hit with fines for using the site while it was temporarily closed – despite claims there were no obvious signs it was shut.

Sue Cole left her Ford Mondeo in Ramsgate’s Staffordshire Street car park on Friday morning to visit the town's market with husband Stephen, paying for her stay via the RingGo mobile app.

While half of the spaces were coned off, with workers painting fresh lines, she parked up in one of the many spots she says were still available to use.

But on her return, the 60-year-old says she was stunned to see every car, including her own, had been hit with a fixed penalty notice.

She told KentOnline: “We came back and I noticed the car next to me had one.

“Then my husband said, ‘Yeah, so have we’.

“When I looked up, everyone was at their cars pulling yellow tickets off. I was shocked.”

Mrs Cole believes about 40 motorists who were parked in spaces that were not blocked off received £35 fines.

She says she later learned an A4-sized sign warning of a full parking suspension had been attached to a ticket machine, but because she paid using the RingGo app, she had no reason to approach the terminal.

Thanet District Council, however, says signs were placed in multiple places

But Mrs Cole argues they were not visible to her, and says access should have been prevented to the whole site if it was completely off-limits.

“There were no cones stopping you from going in, no cones stopping you from coming out,” she said.

“I think it's disgusting that the council have stooped this low to collect all these parking fines, when they never closed the car park correctly.

“All those £35 tickets - it's a lot of money from people when we were just shopping locally.

“It was easy pickings for the ticket wardens. I think there would have been one there when we arrived. It's really wrong.

“They can clearly see that there was no way that we were being stopped from going in. People have just gone in and parked. It was Friday - market day.

“I just thought it was a really underhanded thing for the council to do.”

Mrs Cole launched an appeal immediately, even before leaving the car park, which the authority swiftly rejected.

In response, the council said: “It is the responsibility of the driver to observe the parking restrictions which are shown on the immediate notices.”

Mrs Cole is now unable to appeal again until an official penalty notice has been sent out by post.

If she is unsuccessful again, the £35 fine will be hiked up to £70.

“We haven’t paid it yet, but I suppose we might have to,” she added.

“Everybody that day should have their tickets cancelled, because we all paid for our parking.”

Responding to Mrs Cole’s complaint on the day she received the fine, an enforcement manager said in an email: “Whilst I appreciate you may have paid for parking, Staffordshire Street Car Park is temporarily closed today, as explained by the signage and cones within the car park.

“The reason for this is to allow contractors to reline the parking bays.

“As such, this would require no parking within the car park during stated times.”

Explaining the car park was closed on the day in question, a TDC spokesperson said: “Signs were placed at each entrance to the car park, as well as on payment machines and exits.

“These were in place seven days before the first day of closure.

“Work started in the larger section of the car park, which was coned off by the contractors.

“Parking was suspended in the entire car park, as work was expected to follow in the smaller section. Parked cars prevented this, however.”