Barry Beavis's Supreme Court parking appeal under way

Barry Beavis received a parking charge letter after he overstayed a two-hour limit during a shopping trip

Supreme Court justices have begun to hear a case involving a chip shop owner embroiled in a legal battle over parking charges.

Barry Beavis, of Chelmsford, claims an £85 charge for breaching a two-hour limit in the town was "unfair and disproportionate".

The Court of Appeal dismissed Barry Beavis's claim against ParkingEye in April.

Mr Beavis appealed to the Supreme Court, which is now hearing the case.

Mr Beavis, who runs a chip shop in Billericay, maintains the £85 charge was excessive, unfair and "legally unenforceable".

The Supreme Court hearing began in London earlier and is due to end later this week.

'Legally enforceable'

Seven justices are examining Mr Beavis's case as part of an analysis of legal issues relating to penalty clauses and contracts.

They are due to analyse evidence in a linked case involving a company and a commercial contract before examining Mr Beavis's case in detail on Thursday.

The justices are unlikely to deliver a ruling until later in the year.

In their Court of Appeal verdict, Lord Justice Moore-Bick, sitting with Lord Justice Patten and Sir Timothy Lloyd, said: "In the end I am satisfied that, in this case, the amount payable by the appellant is not extravagant or unconscionable and that the court should therefore not decline to enforce the contract."

Mr Beavis immediately pledged after the ruling to take his case on to the Supreme Court.

ParkingEye said the outcome of the appeal "further confirms that our parking charges are fair, reasonable and legally enforceable".