Heavily pregnant woman slapped with a £70 parking ticket after stopping on double yellow lines because she felt sick
Outraged Hayley Messam, 26, has refused to pay penalty vowing to fight Oldham council in court if necessary
A HEAVILY pregnant woman says she was hit with a parking ticket after pulling over on double yellow lines because she felt sick
Hayley Messam, who is eight months pregnant, was driving in Oldham, Gtr Manchester when she started to feel unwell.
She pulled over near to the town centre, but as she was trying to catch her breath, her Skoda car was approached by a parking attendant.
Although 26-year-old Hayley says she tried to point out that she was heavily pregnant and feeling unwell, she was issued with a £70 penalty, reduced to £35 if she pays sooner.
The penalty was issued on August 30 and care manager Hayley has been battling to have it overturned ever since.
Hayley said: “I was driving home when I started to feel unwell. This had happened a few times during the pregnancy and had fainted before. So I wanted to make sure I was ok to drive.”
“I made sure there was enough room for cars to get past and I wasn’t blocking anything.”
Hayley, from Oldham, Gtr Manchester, said that the traffic enforcement officer pulled up along side her car and tried to move her along.
RELATED STORIES
She said that when she told him she was feeling unwell and was pregnant, he then parked up and issued her with a ticket.
She added: “He was really rude and told me to move otherwise he would give me a ticket.
“There were cars queuing up behind him because he was blocking the road.
“Drivers were beeping their horns at him and so he pulled his car further up the road and parked on double yellow lines.
“He said I needed to have a blue badge to be able to park anywhere, but I said I’m pregnant, not disabled. I thought that was disgusting.
“I got out of the car to show him I was pregnant but it didn’t make a difference. He could see my stomach is massive.”
Other passers-by also were shocked at his decision and questioned why he was giving issuing a ticket.
Pregnant Hayley, who already has a three-year-old, complained to the council about the fine but has been told she has to pay it.
She added: “I will not pay and will take it to court if I have to.”
Councillor Fida Hussain, cabinet member for environment services, said the officer gave her the chance to move the car from ‘double yellow lines’ but was laughed at.
She said: “After being asked to move the vehicle several times, the driver claimed she was a blue badge holder but had no evidence of this. She then said she was pregnant but made no mention of being unwell.
“Before the ticket was issued, the driver was given a final opportunity to move the vehicle but she refused.”
She added her appeal was rejected as no blue badge was displayed.
If the formal appeal is rejected the driver has the opportunity to appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.
A complaint about the enforcement officer is being dealt with separately by the authority.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368