A TUB of butter could end up costing one motorist £100 after she was given a fine for parking on a private road – because she did not see the “inconspicuous” signs.

Denise Silverstein, of Mount Grove, Edgware, parked her Mercedes for a total of four minutes outside Sainsbury’s, in Heath Parade, Colindale, at the end of September.

But this weekend, she received a letter through the post ordering her to pay £100 – or £60 within the next two weeks – as the area was restricted.

The 69-year-old says the signs banning people from parking in the area are too high up to see and is calling on Parking Control Management, which issued the ticket, to move them lower down.

She said: “I realised the signs were there after someone pointed them out to me but they are so high up, you really have to strain your neck to read them.

“The signs are very inconspicuous and if you were looking for them at normal level, you definitely wouldn’t see anything.

“I feel very angry. I didn’t know this was a private road, I actually think it is still on the highway.

“I was barely even in the shop. The ticket was issued at 12.47pm and my Sainsbury’s receipt was timed at 12.46pm.”

New laws introduced last week mean parking companies have to offer a ten-minute grace period before issuing a fine.

But the rules only apply to areas where drivers have to pay to park and not to private roads where parking is banned altogether.

Mrs Silverstein added: “One thing that bothers me is that they’ve got my information from the DVLA.

“It’s wrong for them to give out people’s information to a private parking company without any proof. I couldn’t go to them and ask for a random person’s details, so why should they?”

The Times Series has requested comment from Parking Control Management.