A COUPLE who work for the NHS are incensed after being fined for not paying for parking while they were at a drive-through PCR testing service.

Mark Cleary went to the drive-through Covid swabbing service for a PCR test, with his wife Kathryn, at the Lathom carpark, at the Royal Bolton Hospital, after they both tested positive on lateral flow tests.

The couple each works for the NHS so, as per the requirement s for Botlon NHS Foundation Trust staff, they both booked for a PCR test.

But to their surprise they were then fined £70 for being on the car park, even though they were at the testing site.

Mark said: “I drove us both to the drive-through service where we both had our test and subsequently tested positive.

“To my astonishment I received a £70 fine for driving through the designated drive through Covid swabbing service.

“This is disgraceful. Lathom car park is small and is no longer being used as a staff car park but solely as a drive-through Covid swabbing service.

“The fine was given to us by ParkingEye. These cameras should have been disabled. There will be hundreds of staff, and maybe non-staff, who have received these fines.

“Bolton Hospital should be held to account for the actions of ParkingEye, which has operated disgracefully.

“Also being ill from Covid and having to deal with this has added to my stress and anxiety and will be the same for other people.”

A ParkingEye spokesman said, after consulting with the couple: “The Royal Bolton Hospital Lathom authorised staff car park is currently being used as a drive-through test centre for staff and pre-operation patients.

“They have been seeing an unprecedented number of people attending for PCR testing and as a result, waiting times have increased.

“We have taken this all into consideration and the free parking period has now been extended to take into account the high volume of attendees.

“We have also cancelled the parking charge notice received by the motorist.”