Car given parking tickets outside Sittingbourne police station despite note saying driver in hospital
The 4x4 was left
outside Sittingbourne police station
by Hayley Robinson
A car was issued with two parking tickets while outside
Sittingbourne police station - despite a note from officers
explaining the owner had been taken to hospital.
The Mitsubishi 4x4 Shogun was left in the parking bay, which has
a 30-minute waiting restriction, in Central Avenue
But within minutes of it being parked, the driver was detained
by police under the Mental Health Act before being taken to
Maidstone Hospital.
With no one available to move it, the vehicle remained
in the space with a note written on Kent Police headed paper
advising traffic wardens of the situation.
It read: "Please do not give this vehicle a parking ticket the
owner has been taken to hospital. Police aware." 
The parking tickets on
the car left outside Sittingbourne police station despite a police
note to say the owner has been taken to hospital
There was also a reference number left on the note after the
vehicle was left at around 7.50am on Saturday, February 2.
The first ticket was issued at around 1pm on February 6 - and
the second at a similar time the following day.
A shopper was stunned to see the note and parking
fines attached to the windscreen.
He said: "I spoke to passers-by and not one had any sympathy to
the folly of issuing a parking ticket.
"Parking wardens are not employed for their decision-making
skills so you cannot directly blame that particular warden.
"The blame lies with the person in charge. It is just an
extension of the attitude of the council in charging car owners who
should be patronising the shops in the town centre."
The police note on the
car outside Sittingbourne Police Station to say the owner has
been taken to hospital
The car was eventually moved by a family member some time over
the weekend. It is not known if they plan to appeal, but
a Kent Police spokesman confirmed the force will not have to
foot the bill.
A Swale council spokesman said: "Traffic enforcement officers
confirmed with Kent Police the circumstances surrounding the
vehicle left outside of the police station.
"A concession period of between 24 and 48 hours was given to
allow a third party [family member] to arrange for the removal of
the vehicle.
"The bays outside the police station are provided to enable a
high turnover of free short stay visitor parking to visitors and so
a vehicle left for an extended
period in
these bays will have an impact on other visitors to the area.
"We were therefore unable to extend the concession granted due
to the continued impact on parking availability and advised the
police accordingly.
"Where a penalty charge notice has been issued, the council will
of course consider an appeal and any mitigation presented
explaining why the vehicle remained parked at the location."
12/02/13
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