Hunts Post readers have got the measure of First Capital Connect.

The newspaper continues to be contacted by commuters who believe the new parking spaces at Huntingdon Railway Station are too narrow – and are smaller than before the car park was resurfaced.

FCC continues to deny that any changes have taken place ... so out we went yesterday (Tuesday) with our tape measure.

Our investigations revealed that the width of the resurfaced parking spaces in the east side car park were 14cm (5.5in) smaller than other spaces untouched by recent refurbishments.

The measuring tape was brought out after commuter Jamie Webb contacted The Hunts Post. Last week’s edition reported how he was convinced the parking bays had shrunk.

However, an FCC spokesman said: “As part of the major resurfacing work the original bay lines where used as a template for the new lining. Therefore the ‘new’ bays have not changed in their individual sizes; any variance between bay widths is as a result of the layout of that specific zone and not as a result of a decrease in sizes.”

The newly-painted parking spaces measured 217cm (7ft 1in) in width in comparison to 231cm (7ft 7in) at the west side car park.

“They are adamant they are the same size, yet they refuse to check the sizes and they have refused to try parking a car in the space too,” said Mr Webb in last week’s edition. “You can park a car but you can no longer get in or out of your car properly.”

Other readers have told of having to climb through the passenger door to access a car, and of having to wait for another driver to return to their vehicle before being able to get in.

In comparison, spaces at the recently-developed multi-storey car park at Sainsbury’s in Huntingdon give a more generous width of 240cm (7ft 10in). A spokesman for Huntingdonshire District Council said the size of the spaces was agreed in accordance with Government guidelines.

The guidelines suggest parking bays measure a minimum of 240cm, although this is not enforced on privately-owned land.

The FCC spokesman added: “The only minor location change to bays was to the drop-off zone which has been moved a few metres away to enable a safer, more fluid taxi zone at the station front. This change was in direct response to customer comments and a review of the safety of the front of station and surrounding bays.”

Work was completed on the east side car park and a section of the west side car park as part of a £1.4million investment by the rail company.