Clacton: Driver's ticket fury

From the archive, first published Thursday 8th Mar 2007.

A MOTORIST has branded Tendring Council "heartless" and "money-grabbing" after landing a parking ticket when he took a friend to pick up his dead sister's belongings.

Nick Pirie picked up his pal in Hayes Road, Clacton, and drove to Gairloch Rest Home in Russell Road, before returning to Hayes Road.

In total, he was parked outside his friend's house for less than an hour.

A traffic warden spotted Mr Pirie arrive at 9.40am and again at about noon. Presuming he had been parked in the one-hour restricted area for the whole time, or had only moved his car a short distance in a bid to escape a ticket, he received a £30 fixed-penalty notice.

"I cannot believe how heartless and money-grabbing an authority Tendring has become," he said.

"I doubt they have bothered to follow the information up to see if I am telling the truth.

"The total amount of time parked didn't add up to one hour, with the second parking literally to unload a dead person's personal effects.

"I honestly thought that under the circumstances they would have shown some sort of compassion."

Nigel Brown, Tendring Council's communications manager, said the motorist's first informal challenge to the fixed-penalty notice was rejected, as the car was in virtually an identical position at 12.04pm as it had been at 9.43am.

He said a cancellation of the fine could be considered on the grounds he had reparked.

He added: "The council would need the nursing home to confirm the presence of the car and the motorist himself, if possible, during that period on February 17."