TWO cinema goers slapped with £100 fines after parking at the Curzon in Knutsford have won their battle to have them quashed.

Dave Burnham, who lives in Goostrey, and a woman pensioner received letters confirming the fines have been cancelled following an appeal.

Now Mr Burnham is mystified why they were withdrawn before April 10 when his appeal against the fine imposed by the Liverpool-based parking company, Civil Enforcement Ltd, was due to be heard.

The couple were among dozens who fell foul of new restrictions at the cinema’s town centre car park aimed at controlling all day “fly” parkers ignoring a two-hour free parking period.

But only days after they were introduced many cinema goers unaware they had to register their vehicles at the box office for free parking were caught in the net.

They received the draconian fines – reduced to £60 if paid within two weeks - in the post after being 'snapped' by hidden cameras.

The fines were cancelled after Mr Burnham asked George Osborne, the then chancellor and Tatton MP now bidding for re-election, for help in resolving the issue, and Cheshire East councillor, Stewart Gardiner, was also drawn into the protest by the pensioner who overstayed by 20 minutes when she attended a matinee with a friend.

He now hopes as a result of their victory other cinema goers who paid up because of fear of court action for overstaying in similar circumstances will have their money refunded.

Mr Burnham was fined after he paid £23.50 for tickets for a family outing to the cinema to see the Stephen Hawking biopic “The Theory of Everything” but he refused to pay and told the operators he would challenge them in court if necessary.

“I am very pleased that common sense seems to have prevailed at last but the fines should have been cancelled weeks ago, or for that matter not been imposed in the first place, when it was clear the so-called offenders were attending the cinema,” he said.

“I still don’t see why the Curzon could not have cancelled the parking tickets itself when it became aware of a genuine mistake as they must have engaged the company to control the parking and introduce the new restrictions.”

He added: “The fine has been cancelled without comment before the date of my appeal hearing. This leads me to think the appeals people – who are funded by the companies controlling car parks – must have accepted my case and did not want them to lose face so tipped them off, but I suppose it will remain a mystery.”

Staff at the Curzon are now instructed to verbally draw the attention of patrons to the new restrictions and to register their vehicles.