Driver stranded in self-isolation with coronavirus symptoms forced to watch parking warden slap FOUR fines on his car
A MAN in isolation after suffering coronavirus symptoms had to watch as traffic wardens repeatedly ticket his car outside his house despite pleas from his doorstep.
Peter Pratt was ticketed four times outside his home in Chatham, Kent, after being sent home from work with symptoms of Covid-19.
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The 40-year-old would usually collect visitor parking permits from his library because the council had not yet delivered his residents’ permit.
But unable to get hold of the temporary permits, he could only watch on as he was slapped with fines totaling £200, despite shouting from his door step that he was in self-isolation.
Peter, an appliance tester who was sent home from work last Tuesday, even placed notes on the windscreen explaining his situation.
He filmed one incident on his smartphone in order to gather evidence to support his appeal.
Peter said: “I would normally have been out there swearing at them a lot more than I was.
“You just think they would use a bit of common sense.”
“I had been trying to keep an eye on it. On the first day, I saw a traffic warden put one on my car, I tried to explain through my window that I’m in self-isolation.
“They just said ‘Oh well, we don’t care. We are just here to do our jobs.'”
Peter left his house to collect the tickets on Tuesday and is now appealing all four fines.
He said: “I’m worried about my finances because I’m on statutory sick pay and my salary will be cut by 20 per cent for the next three months.
“Now I’m hoping that the council make the right decision and accept my appeals.”
Medway Council has now said it will focus on more serious parking offences during the coronavirus crisis.
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A council spokesperson said: “We understand that due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) there may be less parking available on Medway’s residential roads as more people are at home with their vehicles.
“However, it is essential that we maintain safe roads and pavements for pedestrians and other motorists.
“We will be now concentrating our parking enforcement on vehicles which are parked in a dangerous or inconsiderate manner.”
