NEW parking rules at a row of shops in Newport have left unaware drivers seething - after some were hit by fines as high as £100.

Visitors to Malpas Road shops say they had no idea Richard Morgan & Co Ltd, which manages the site, had employed New Generation Parking Management Limited (NGPM) to enforce new restriction.

Until they were slapped with hefty penalties that is.

Nikola Masters, who lives in Rupert Brooke Drive, was among those caught.

She said: “I was at Malpas Road shops this month to drop off toys to Barnardos.

“There was no parking within easy reach of the charity so I parked where everyone else does, alongside the stretch opposite.

“There’s no double yellow lines to say you can’t. But then I received a £100 fine.

“It said it would be £35 if paid within two weeks, but I wasn’t told of the changes there.”

The 45-year-old also said she felt there was inadequate notice at the site of the new rules.

“There are signs but they’re quite high up,” she added.

Jennifer Jones, who lives in Aspen Way, said she has also been issued with a notice.

Voicing her “disgust”, the 75-year-old said: “I parked alongside Bathstone, like I’ve done for the past 14 years. I’ve never had a problem before.

“We need double yellow lines there or something visible so people realise.”

“I refuse to pay the fine,” she added.

Maesglas resident Rebecca Burgiss echoed similar remarks.

“I was caught two weeks ago after parking opposite Tesco. I’m a carer and quickly popped into Greggs to get some lunch. That’s when I was caught.

“There’s no road markings to say I can’t park there.

There is a sign that I’ve just discovered and the text is far too small. No wonder I didn’t see it.”

A spokesman from Richard Morgan & Company Ltd said: “We instructed NGPM back in June as over the past year we have had numerous problems with parking there.

“These include a number of accidents and near misses due to inconsiderate motorists parking in the roadways of the site.

“After feedback from users of the site, we are in the process of obtaining quotes for additional road markings to be applied.”

A spokesman for NGPM added: “Motorists continue to persistently park on the roadways, making it awkward and inconvenient for those who have parked correctly with the marked bays.

“Signage was put in place at the beginning of August and left for several weeks before the site became active.

“The signage is very clear and uses pictograms in order to simplify and make clear the terms and conditions of which the motorist must adhere to.”