An 89-year-old driver from Bury St Edmunds has been fined after leaving a car park in Haverhill, Suffolk, because he could not download the payment app needed to pay for parking on his 20-year-old Nokia phone. Roland Nice found on arrival that the car park no longer accepted cash, and after struggling between two payment machines with the aid of his walking stick, he gave up and drove off without parking. The case highlights growing concerns about older and vulnerable people being left behind as cash payments are phased out across car parks, shops and banking services.

Mr Nice spent eight minutes at the Swan Lane car park on 7 August before leaving, and days later received a penalty notice from operator Napier Parking demanding £100, reduced to £60 if paid within a fortnight. He said he had last used the car park two years earlier when coins were still accepted, and recalled paying just £1.40 in cash for two hours' parking. His wife submitted an appeal on 20 August, but the couple say they have had no response, and Mr Nice says the ordeal will make him think twice about visiting the town again. Napier Parking, a privately run operator not affiliated with Haverhill Town Council, has separately faced criticism, including a petition earlier this year calling for a mandatory 15-minute grace period at car parks.