A pensioner has vowed he ‘will not pay' after being slapped with a £125 parking fine in Tesco.

Jon Windeatt was issued the fine when he received a letter claiming he parked on the Tesco Extra car park on Hamble Lane for almost six hours in January this year – however the 86-year-old rejects this.

The veteran claims he never stayed in the car park for more than 30 minutes as he “has no need” because he lives “around the corner”.

After not paying the initial discounted fine of £70, the charge went up to £80 and in May debt recovery agency hiked the charge up to £125.

Despite this, defiant Jon, of Netley Abbey, is standing his ground, saying: “I am not going to pay for something I didn’t do.

"There is no way I would park here for more than an hour at an absolute [maximum].”

The parking management firm, Horizon Parking, has been approached for comment.

Daily Echo: Jon Windeatt, 86Jon Windeatt, 86 (Image: NQ, Jose Ramos)

The 86-year-old received the letter alerting him of the infringement, on January 22, with a picture showing his car arriving at 10.30am and leaving at 4.20pm the same day.

He went into the store, spoke to the manager, and showed him the letter.

Jon said: “In the picture you see my car going in but in the second picture, you can’t prove that is my car.

“You can’t see my number plate on that picture, and it’s 4pm in January, it would be dark and my lights would be on.

“I also would not stay in the car park for that long. I live around the corner.”

He claims the manager conceded that may not be him and after this, Jon appealed the notice but was rejected.

He accepts he may have gone in the morning and returned in the evening to get fuel, but he rejects any suggestion he stayed there for almost six hours.

He received two other letters notifying him the charge had gone up to £80, but he still did not pay for it.

Four months after the supposed breach he received a letter from a debt recovery agency taking up the charge to £125.

The pensioner has said he won’t back down: “If I had any doubt, I would pay straight away. But I am not going to pay for something I didn’t do. It’s a matter of principle.”

He added: “They can take me to court.”