A pair of commuters claim they have been “cheated” after they say cones designating ‘no parking’ were mysteriously moved behind their cars – resulting in them getting parking tickets.

Darran Hayes and Caroline Cummings said they believed they had parked legally at Shipley train station before catching the train to work.

They had parked on the cobbled street leading to the station, about eight feet from traffic cones marking the ‘no parking’ area next to an overhead bridge.

But when they returned after work, they say the cones had been moved to include their cars within the illegal parking area. Both received parking tickets and a £50 fine.

Call centre worker Mr Hayes, 40, of Dock Lane, Shipley, said: “There was a sign saying any vehicles causing an obstruction would be removed and there would be a charge of £50, but we didn’t park there. We thought we were parking where we were allowed.

“It is annoying more than anything because I had purposely parked away from the cones to make sure I was parked in the right place. Then somebody has moved them so that our cars were within the no parking area and we were issued with parking tickets.”

Mrs Cummings, 42, of Sorrin Close, Idle, Bradford, said: “When I got there, there were cones to stop people parking near the bridge. But, when I came back, I found the cones had been put behind my car. I feel cheated.”

Mr Hayes said parking was a problem throughout the station’s car park because of unclear markings designating parking bays.

Mr Hayes and Mrs Cummings are now writing to Northern Rail, which is responsible for parking enforcement at the station, calling for them to cancel the tickets.

A Northern Rail spokesman said: “Traffic cones are used to reinforce the double yellow lines and no parking signs that are in place.

“On Friday, January 14, someone moved the cones to park their car on the double yellow lines.

“We appreciate that parking is limited, however, parking out of marked bays is a problem and restrictions are in place to ensure that the car park is used safely and to stop passengers’ cars being blocked in or damaged.”

In response, Mrs Cummings said: “We are completely innocent and have fallen foul of people moving these cones.”