A businessman is heralding a "victory for the common man" after a parking firm dropped court proceedings against him.

Steve Webb, who owns Tuk Shop in Eastleigh High Street, was slapped with a fine after he parked at Stoneham Lane Football Complex in November 2022 to watch his teenage daughter play football.

His BMW X5 was not parked in a marked bay, but Steve, 62, said that there was not enough spaces to park in on match days, and he was not obstructing anyone.

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The 62-year-old refused to pay the £160 fine, and he had been due to defend himself at Southampton County Court after a claim from National Parking Control Group Ltd.

But the case was dropped shortly before the proceedings were due to begin.

It comes after a battle of almost two years over the fine.

Steve, whose company modifies and sells Tuk Tuks, a form of taxi popular in Asia, said he felt "vindicated" after the case was thrown out.

“Right back at the beginning of all of this my family were telling me I don’t need the stress or hassle that comes with it, but I thought it was a matter of principal.

“I think you have a clear understanding of what is right and what is wrong, and I didn’t want them to get away with something that wasn’t fair.”

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Steve, who started Tuk Shop 20 years ago after falling in love with the quirky mode of transport on a holiday to India, had a £400 court fee looming over his head had he lost the case on July 8.

Though Steve’s 15-year-old daughter, Hetti, no longer plays football at the sports complex in Eastleigh, Steve said his small claims court win was a “victory for the common man against car park enforcement bullies”.

He added: “It’s something I hope I won’t have to go through again but I’m glad there was a successful outcome.”