Mum-of-four fined £70 for stopping ’15 seconds’ outside school ‘to let oncoming drivers past’ – but who is in the right?

A MUM was slapped with a fine for stopping outside a primary school for "15 seconds".

Katie Pender-Eccleston said she briefly stopped in front of zig-zag lines to let on-coming cars through.

The mum-of-four from Dartford, Kent, was asked to hand over £70 when she said she pulled in to let other cars through.

Her partner, Alan, said the couple aren't "prepared" to pay the charge - branding it "ridiculous".

The couple are appealing the fine.

He told the Kent Mail: "I find it ridiculous - she must have been waiting for 15 to 20 seconds."

He added: "That is not right and I'm not prepared to pay the fine for that."

In footage captured of the incident, Katie's silver ford can be seen stopping just after a set of zig-zag lines outside the school in Swanscombe.

The council have fined her for parking, but the 43-year-old insists she just stopped to let other cars through.

Husband Alan said you can "clearly see" that his wife isn't parked.

He explained that if Katie had driver forward she would have blocked the road - as you can "only allow two cars to pull in ahead".

He said the route is always congested with traffic as there are only a few roads in and out of the couple's home town of Swanscombe.

Alan added that particular stretch of road was a "nightmare".

The dad-of-four insisted that if the clip was just a little longer, the "context" of the clip would have been "clear".

He said: "No one gets out the car. The picture, the actual photo the council sent, you can clearly see she is not parked."

The cameras were installed opposite school gates as part of a council clampdown on problematic parking.

Dartford Council declined to comment due to the on-going appeal.