Expensive new car parking machines experienced glitches days after being installed in Kingston.

Drivers trying to pay by credit card in The Rose car park on Thursday afternoon found themselves stuck after the Parkare machine spewed out their cards.

When they pressed the help and information button it was not connecting through to an operator.

Several frustrated drivers were eventually let out without paying by a car park staff member.

A spokesman for Kingston Council did not comment on the problems in the Rose car park on Thursday but said it had experienced issues on Friday at the Cattle Market car park with a faulty intercom and a counting system.

He also said "a number" of season ticket holders had their cards re-programmed.

Peter Sands, managing director of Parkare, said: “As far as I’m concerned it’s going according to plan.

"I can honestly say I’m not aware of that. The credit card parking has several parties and several layers.

"It is our system but it is a clearing process going on behind the scenes."

The new Parkare machines were introduced in The Rose car park, Cattle Market and the Bittoms this week as part of a £310,000 investment which also allows car park users to pay using their phones.

Temporary pay and display machines which had been in use while the new machines were installed were criticised as inflexible and costly by drivers.

Were you affected by car parking problems last week?

Call 0208 744 4244 or send an email to dlindsell@london.newsquest.co.uk.