A "misunderstanding" has been blamed after more than a dozen Norwich City fans were hit with £60 penalties for parking in their regular match day car park.

For years, the car park of Graphic House in Thorpe Road has been run as a charity car park on match days for the Norwich and District Lions Club, in an arrangement made with the building's prior owners.

The Pink Un: Jay Sadler, who received a £60 parking charge, with friends ahead of the Norwich v Liverpool gameJay Sadler, who received a £60 parking charge, with friends ahead of the Norwich v Liverpool game (Image: Jay Sadler)

The car park charges supporters £5 to park all day with all proceeds going to the charitable causes the club supporters.

However, as supporters returned to the car park after attending their first games in 18 months, they were shocked to discover penalty notices had been issued - despite each vehicle displaying the tickets issued on arrival.

Among those was Jay Sadler, a 32-year-old security worker from Bowthorpe, who has made use of the car park for more than a decade.

The Pink Un: Graphic House car park on Thrope Road in Norwich, with signs for its match day parkingGraphic House car park on Thrope Road in Norwich, with signs for its match day parking (Image: Jay Sadler)

He said: "It was great to be back at the football after all this time, but this really put a dampener on a great day out.

"When you have already paid £5 to park you clearly don't expect to come back to a £60 fine - it made me really angry."

The penalty charge notices (PCNs) were issued by Norwich Traffic Control, which is employed by the building's managing company to enforce parking regulations at the site.

The Pink Un: A ticket and PCN on the dashboard of Jay Sadler's carA ticket and PCN on the dashboard of Jay Sadler's car (Image: Jay Sadler)

NTC director Lewis Edmonds, however, said around 18 PCNs had been issued in the car park on Saturday - and reassured the vehicle owners he had urged the building owners to tear up the tickets.

He said: "Our officers were clearly just doing their jobs and managing the car park - as they are instructed to do.

"However, it seems to me like a misunderstanding has happened, as since there was last a football game the building has changed hands.

"It may be that the Lions weren't told by the new managing company they couldn't use it as normal or the managing company didn't tell us they were allowing it, but we weren't aware either way.

"Whichever way it was, clearly it was a misunderstanding, so as far as I am concerned all the PCNs should be cancelled."