A TAVISTOCK man is ‘incensed’ after being fined while crossing a car park to purchase a parking ticket.

Donald McNab, by his words: ‘an 82-year-old wobbly, wounded, war veteran’, was parked in the car park next to Tavistock Town Hall for approximately four minutes when he was fined for having a wheel over the left hand line of a parking bay.

Donald said that he did this because he was parked next to a large camper van which made it difficult for him to open his door.

He also said that the space to the left of him was cordoned off, giving him the impression that it was closed.

Donald added: ‘I explained my problem to the Civil Enforcement Officer, a tall gentleman who was standing sheltering from the rain and he just nodded.

‘Then I went to get my parking ticket. By the time I had returned to the car, less than four minutes later, he had already placed a ticket on my windscreen.

‘When I asked him why he hadn’t helped he advised that once a ticket was issued it could not be rescinded.

‘As I understand it that one has up to ten minutes after parking, I could have adjusted my car by reversing back into the space had I been advised.

‘I fully appreciate that officers are committed to issuing tickets to raise revenue, but surely they can also give advice and be helpful.I think its very unfair, in less than the time I’d taken to get a ticket he had booked me. I got a £50 fine for those few minutes.’

A West Devon Borough Council spokesperson said: ‘We are unable to comment specifically on individual appeals until a formal decision has been made.’