A 60-year-old woman who was helping an injured pensioner on the side of the road is “disgusted at the lack of humanity” after she was given a parking ticket.
Lorna Dawson was driving in Christchurch, Dorset, when she saw an elderly man on the pavement who was bleeding.
She stopped her Hyundai car about 18ft away from the scene and approached the man, who had fallen off a coach in the town centre.
While she was helping the pensioner, she was issued a £50 parking ticket, even though she had put her hazard lights on.
Whilst she was helping the pensioner, she was issued a £50 parking ticket
GETTY
She quickly ran over to the warden to explain the situation but he said that he had already issued the ticket and that there was nothing he could do.
The 60-year-old claims said that the warden was aware that “something had happened” before issuing the ticket.
She said: “I jumped out of the car and this guy had fallen over and taken two older ladies with him.
“I dropped everything and ran, put my hazards on and ran across to the coach which was virtually right in front of my car.”
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The warden (not pictured) said that he had already issued the ticket and that there was nothing he could do
PA
She then ran back to collect blankets and antiseptic wipes for the elderly man, before noticing that a Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council traffic officer was issuing her a ticket.
Dawson said: “I cleaned up the poor man and this guy was slapping a parking ticket on my car so I ran over. He didn’t know it was my car, but he could see something had happened and I was parked across, pulled on the side. I wasn’t in a parking space and I had hazards on.
“These other people came with me and said, ‘Hang on a minute, you can’t do that. She’s helping somebody who’s just fallen over’ and he was like, ‘oh, well, I’ve already issued it.’
“Even the guy who’s injured and still shaken came over to him and was going to say something.”
The parking ticket has since been cancelled after she was contacted by BCP Council on December 24
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The warden then spoke to his supervisor, who agreed that there was nothing that could be done.
“I’m just disgusted at the lack of humanity. I did say to both of them, ‘I hope to God that nothing ever happens to you’. I said, because you put me off stopping to help people now, I just think it’s disgusting,” she said.
Cllr Richard Herrett said: “I would like to acknowledge the act of kindness displayed by Ms Dawson in coming to the aid of members of the public who were in distress in Christchurch last Saturday (21 December).
“The parking ticket was issued without any knowledge of the incident, and once given it enters a legal process which then requires the recipient to appeal the ticket. As soon as Ms Dawson explained the circumstances to our Civil Enforcement Officer, they advised her to appeal the ticket.
“These circumstances would be properly taken into account by the Parking Team during an appeal process.”
The parking ticket has since been cancelled after she was contacted by BCP Council on December 24.
