Hospital patient hits out at Lancashire County Council after being handed parking fine while undergoing cancer treatment (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Hospital patient hits out at Lancashire County Council after being handed parking fine while undergoing cancer treatment

5:30pm Monday 18th February 2013 in News

A WOMAN has slammed Lancashire County Council for giving her a parking ticket while she was undergoing treatment for cancer.

Louise Broughton, of Bowness, was handed the fine despite leaving a note and her chemotherapy records on the dashboard of her car, after being forced to park on double yellow lines to avoid missing her appointment.

She explained that the incident occurred outside the Royal Lancaster Infirmary, on February 5, after she had driven round the hospital’s car park for 20 minutes looking for a space.

She said: “I would say to the council that they should brief their wardens to have a little compassion.

“I just presumed the chemotherapy record book was proof.

“Maybe he thought I was using someone else’s, but I’m hardly likely to be carrying round someone else’s chemotherapy book in my handbag.”

The 58-year-old, who usually has treatment at Westmorland General Hospital, explained that she had driven round the RLI car park three times, behind another four drivers also looking for parking spaces.

And although she had left adequate time for her appointment, she soon realised she was going to be late and was forced to park up in the illegal space.

Urging the council to rescind the fine, she added: “I have parking problems every time I go because there aren’t enough spaces. If you go during the day it’s a nightmare.”

But Paul Riley, manager of Lancashire Parking Services, said: "We take great care to be fair and consistent when enforcing parking and, to protect the integrity of frontline officers, ask them not to take account of notes left in car windows so that documentary evidence supporting the driver's case can instead be properly considered as part of the appeals process.

"If Ms Broughton wants to contest the charge further we would ask her to follow the appeals process and provide any evidence she believes is relevant to the case."