BLUES fans are furious after leaving Roots Hall to find their cars had been slapped with parking fines in a previously free council car park.

Brothers Paul and Alan Davis had parked at the council car park next to the Civic Centre to watch Southend United's 1-1 draw against Northampton on Saturday.

The car park was free at weekends, but Paul Davis claims Southend Council changed its conditions without enough notice or advertising.

Paul, 44, from Rochford, said: "We always park at that car park, a lot of supporters do, and it has always been free. We came back to the car and literally every other car had a parking ticket. If they were introducing fees at weekends, it wasn't very well advertised and really caught people out.

"A lot of fans were milling around and were absolutely fuming. As a gesture, the council should have had notices up or someone at the entrance as we arrived before the game to let us know of the changes."

Alan, 39, from Benfleet, whose car the group were in, is intending to appeal the £25 fine.

The brothers are also annoyed the car park doesn't offer a three-hour tariff, which would be long enough to watch the game.

Instead they have to pay the higher fee for four hours at £4.

Paul added: "It is very underhand. There is a one-hour fee, two-hour and four-hour fee, but no three-hour. People will end up parking in side streets to avoid paying.

"We are lifelong fans and always go to games. It is expensive enough to see them play, but this compounds it further. To find out on the day they only drew, didn't help our mood.

"A lot of people were complaining about the wardens, who must have swept in as the game started. The council must have made a fortune out of us."

The council's parking manager Derek Kenyon said the parking tariffs throughout Southend changed on April 1.

He said: "Details were advertised in various places including the Echo, and notices explaining the changes were attached to the tariff boards of all the car parks and on the pay and display boards.

"Notices have also been displayed prominently for the past two weeks in the Civic Centre car park, explaining the parking charges now apply every day, apart from Christmas Day and Good Friday.

"We are currently looking at the possibility of introducing a three-hour tariff band in the Civic Centre car park."