PARKING signs, charges and meters across Swindon may have to be changed after a motorist got an early morning ticket quashed.

Nigel Pursall was hit with a £30 fine after overstaying in Britannia Place, Old Town, in March.

He paid an overnight £1.80 charge which covered his parking until 6am.

But when he collected his car at 9am the next day he found the excess charge notice.

He said the council should have allowed him to pay to park past 6am and took his case to the National Parking Adjudication Service.

He won his case and now Swindon Council is reviewing its parking fees.

"This wasn't about a challenge for a lot of money," said Nigel, of Priory Vale.

"I just took this challenge on because I wanted to get my point across.

"I wanted to highlight that there was nothing on these boards clearly stating to the public what they could do if they wanted to buy more time.

"The adjudicator could see the reasoning behind my case and he put himself in my shoes."

During the hearing, said Nigel, the solicitor in charge referred to Oxford where parkers can buy extra hours for the morning if they leave their car somewhere overnight.

He then ruled in Nigel's favour and quashed the parking fine.

A spokesman for Swindon Council said: "We want to give information that is as clear as possible to the customers who use our car parks.

"We're not trying to catch them out."

If the council has to change tariff boards and ticket machines in car parks it is expected the bill could run to thousands.

Richard Charles, the lawyer who heard the appeal, concluded: "I am not satisfied to the required standard that the tariff board in the car park was sufficiently clear in relation to the purchase of a ticket or tickets when the stay spans the day and evening/night tariffs and I find as a fact that it was not."

Because every ticket case is decided on its own merits and does not set any kind of legal precedent, the ruling may not have implications for the way Swindon Council runs its parking services.

However, the authority has confirmed it is reviewing the information posted on its parking tariff boards.

Nigel said: "I think Swindon Council will have to do something about this and change their parking boards.

"But I think if they don't tell you how to park your car overnight without getting a ticket, then they are not providing an incentive for responsible driving."