Hero NHS worker blasts ‘jobsworth’ warden for fining her £25 for parking with one wheel inches outside bay

AN NHS worker has slammed a “jobsworth” parking warden for slapping her with a ticket as she was giving dozens of Covid and flu jabs.

Sandra Chapman, 54, was furious to find she had been given a fine for parking outside of the lines of a marked bay when she returned to her Audi in Devon.

Pharmacy technician Sandra had parked at the end of a row of spaces, with the rear wheel of her car just over the line – which was next to a grass verge.

The mum-of-two had been working for six hours giving more than 100 jabs to people when she was slapped with the £25 fine on October 8.

The writ said she was not parked correctly within her bay at Barnstable Leisure centre’s overspill car park in Devon.

Sandra said: “When I returned to my car I had a fixed penalty notice for not parking within the lines.

“The penalty notice says, ‘not parking correctly within the markings of a bay or space’.

“It was so frustrating, I was absolutely furious. I just could not believe it.

“It’s absolutely a jobsworth who has done this. I just don’t understand it at all, I haven’t done anything wrong.

“I was just trying to give the car next to me enough space so they could open their door.”

Sandra, of South Molton, Devon, who has worked for the NHS for 26 years, has appealed the fine which she has branded as “ridiculous”.

She added: “It was really hard work. I was just absolutely gutted at first. It wasn’t until I read the thing, I was just flabbergasted.

“It had been agreed with North Devon Council that we could use the overflow car park providing if we showed a voucher.

“I parked in the overflow car park and put the voucher on the dashboard. I had parked in an end bay with the grass verge to the left of me and another parking bay to the right.

"There had been a car in this bay when I parked which was over the line, thus leaving me to have my back left hand side wheel over the line also.

I was just flabbergasted

Sandra Chapman

“I thought this would not be a problem as it was the grass verge and I was not blocking another bay.

"Unfortunately when the ticket was issued, the car which had parked next to me had gone.

“I am extremely disappointed with North Devon Council to think that this would be acceptable when I was helping the North Devon population stay safe and healthy.”

A spokesman for North Devon Council said: “While we are unable to comment on a specific case, a car left unattended in contravention of any parking restrictions, risks receiving a penalty charge notice.

“Clear instructions are provided on the information board to advise customers of the parking regulations in force and we urge motorists to double-check before leaving their vehicles parked.

"In all our car parks, motorists are advised that all vehicles must be parked within the marked bays.

“Enforcement helps to mitigate dangerous or inconsiderate parking and is carried out after observation of vehicles by trained civil enforcement officers.

“We encourage motorists to appeal their tickets via the process set under the Traffic Management Act 2004. Each case is considered on its own merit, whilst maintaining consistency.”