A BILLERICAY chip shop owner has taken his legal battle about unfair parking charges to the Supreme Court.

Barry Beavis’s case, which centres around parking at Riverside Retail Park in Chelmsford, is being heard by justices this week.

Mr Beavis, who runs Happy Haddock, in Morris Avenue, Billericay, has already lost legal challenges in a county court and the Court of Appeal.

He had been charged £85 for overstaying the allowed two hours of free parking at the car park, a charge he argues was excessive and “legally unenforceable”.

Seven justices are examining Mr Beavis's case as part of an analysis of legal issues relating to penalty clauses and contracts.

They are due to analyse evidence in a linked case involving a company and a commercial contract before examining Mr Beavis's case in detail on Thursday.

Justices are unlikely to deliver a ruling until later in the year.

Court of Appeal judges ruled that the charge was clearly signposted and legitimately intended to deter overstayers in the busy city centre car park.

Mr Beavis was charged by management company ParkingEye after overstaying the two-hour limit in April 2013.

Both a judge at Cambridge County Court and appeal judges agreed he had “entered into a contract” with ParkingEye.

Lawyers representing Mr Beavis argued fines should not be imposed simply to make large profits.

But Lord Justice Moore-Bick said: ''The amount payable by the appellant is not extravagant or unconscionable and that the court should therefore not decline to enforce the contract.''

Speaking ahead of the case, RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: “It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this case.

"Each year at least three million drivers are pursued by private parking firms to get them to pay penalty charges.

"This is a vast enterprise that has left many motorists angry, frustrated and confused.

"Few people would want to see a parking free-for-all, but we have heard of many cases where drivers are billed £100 or more for briefly overstaying their welcome and most people would feel this is wholly disproportionate."