A woman has started a petition against a Perth car park branded the “worst in Britain”.
Louise Paterson, from Scone, was left angry after a speed bump and pothole combination ripped off her bumper at St Catherine’s Retail Park.
Sunday night’s incident has left her black BMW with damage valued to be at least £100 and has put her off using the car park again.
Louise hopes to receive compensation from the car park’s owner after it responded to her complaint.
However, she still wants the car park repaired so it does not happen again.
She has started a petition to persuade the owner to fix the issues at the car park. This has gained more than 150 signatures.
The 36-year-old told The Courier: “I’ve driven through the car park loads of times and I’ve thought it’s an absolute shambles.
“There is a problem with the road surfacing and it’s getting worse fast.
“My front wheel had gone into a pothole but I hadn’t seen it as it was dark and I was watching for cars as I tried getting out of a junction.
‘It happened twice’
“As I went to come up from that, my bumper got caught in a speed ramp.
“I heard scraping but just thought it was my car scraping on the bump.
“So I got out and had a look and went ‘oh my god’ – I was frantic.
“I got back in my car to find my bumper – at first I couldn’t find it but as I got closer it was wedged in the speed bump.
“I lined up my car for evidence to show the issue that caused the damage – but I went into the pothole again and it took off the other side.
“It happened twice.”
‘Worst car park in Britain’
While Louise is looking for compensation for the damage, she also wants to ensure action is taken to improve the car park.
She claims she will not back down even if the owner coughs up.
The catering assistant added: “People at the scene were telling me it’s the worst car park in Britain.
“If everyone moaned to the company, something would have to be done.
“Maybe in their defence the company is oblivious – they might not know how bad it is.
“I did the petition because I wanted to be able to look at the numbers and tell them this is how many people agree with me about the car park.
“It’s not even about me – it’s about the potential accidents that might happen.”
MSP ‘aware’ of car park problems
Local MSP, John Swinney, has also waded into the row.
He said: “I am aware of the issues facing motorists parking at St Catherine’s Retail Park and I am raising this matter directly with the car park operator.
“It is vital that those visiting the retail park are able to do so free from the risk of any damage to their vehicle.
“To that end, I am hopeful that meaningful steps can be taken to improve the quality of the car park in the very near future.”
A spokesperson for St Catherine’s Retail Park said: “Health and safety across the park is paramount and any concerns raised with us are dealt with as a priority.”
Elsewhere in Perth, locals and councillors were unhappy after Perth and Kinross Council changed the South Inch Car Park to pay and display.
Wider projects at the retail park are understood to be planned for 2024.
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