Coronavirus: Nurses' Wetherspoon's parking fines overturned

Parking fines were issued after nurses were told they could park free of charge

Nurses who were given parking fines for using a car park of a pub near the hospital where they worked will now have their penalties cancelled.

The staff from Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield were told they could park at the Francis Newton pub, a Wetherspoon's closed amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

Many later received parking fines - some for hundreds of pounds - issued by a private company.

JD Wetherspoon said any fines sent out would now be cancelled.

• More stories from around Yorkshire

One nurse told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "We were told we could park there but I then got a fine for five days all in one go.

"It was a £75 fine per day, reduced to £45 if I paid it quickly. I'm expecting another fine today because I've parked there two weeks running.

"It's been a really big help being able to park there because it's so close to the hospital."

JD Wetherspoon said the fines were issued by a private company

JD Wetherspoon spokesman Eddie Gershon said: "NHS workers can park in our pub car park free of charge.

"They categorically should not be fined and any tickets that have been sent out will be cancelled.

"The parking tickets have not come from Wetherspoon.

"A total of 92 NHS staff have used the free parking facility so far and Wetherspoon will continue to offer this facility to them."

The car park at the Hallamshire Hospital has also been made free of charge for staff and visitors.