Hi °C | Lo °C A grandmother in a notorious Ulster black spot for traffic wardens was forced to produce CCTV evidence to prove her booking was "a nonsense" , the Telegraph can reveal today.
Dorothy Connor, from Portadown, had a ticket slapped on her Ford Fiesta - even though it was parked 60 yards away from its original parking place and she had driven off between times to do a bit of shopping and call with her daughter.
Dorothy said: "I told the warden I had parked for 10 minutes in two different places at Portadown's Bridge Street - with 50 minutes in between - but he wouldn't listen.
"He said I'd been there for over an hour and it was against the law to drive a few yards up the street as a bluff. Which was nonsense. Luckily, I had called at a local Spar between times, and when I checked there, I was told their security camera system snaps everyone at the counter, and they did me a print-out. There I was, large as life.
"It even recorded that I had bought bananas and crisps."
Her first stop was for 10 minutes on Tuesday afternoon and then she drove off to call with her daughter, did the shopping and went back to Bridge Street where she parked at 4.30pm for another 10 minutes to do a quick message.
It was then that the warden swooped, claiming the car had been there for over an hour, with the short move up the street against the law.
"The warden simply didn't believe me, but told me I could appeal to the Department of the Environment in Coleraine - so that's what I've done. I've sent the ticket and picture. They can't get out of this one," she said.
Dorothy's booking is the latest of a bizarre series in Portadown, where the town is up in arms against what they feel are over-zealous traffic wardens.
A bride has been booked while calling for her bouquet. A hairdresser was ticketed when giving evidence to the PSNI over a break-in.
A dry cleaner was targeted while loading up her van. And a women was nabbed while leaving her 89-year-old mother home - the car was parked at the front door, its doors wide open.
Councillor Arnold Hatch said: "I know motorists can't park where they please, but it's time common sense was displayed."
