Parking offence in a "no return within the hour" bay

I have received a Fixed Penalty Notice for parking for too long in a bay restricted to 30 minutes. The times recorded on the FPN are 1339 to 1551. The signage around the bays suggests that the parking is limited to 30 minutes with no return within 1 hour. Although I was parked in the bay for the duration of this period, I could have easily have moved the car for an hour and 10 minutes before returning to the parking space. Is there any way that the local Police could prove otherwise as this is all that is stated on the FPN. Also, if I was to appeal to have the fine dealt with by a court then would it be necessary for me to attend (losing a days work) or would a simple letter explaining the matter suffice?

Wardens record vehicles legally parked in bays under such circumstances so they usually have a detailed record of observations. They are thus usually able to say whether a vehicle vacated the bay and returned to it. You could challenge on the basis that you departed and then returned and in the absence of a detailed record, your case might succeed but you would stand a much greater chance of success if you are prepared to make your case in person. Should you lose, whether attending or not, the penalty is likely to be greater than you would receive under the fixed penalty.

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