Council leader has good Samaritan's parking ticket cancelled

Parking ticket (stock photo)

Councillor Richard Farnell, the Leader of Rochdale Borough Council, has ordered the parking ticket issued to Andy McNamara whilst he was assisting with a medical emergency be cancelled.

Rochdale Online revealed yesterday that Mr McNamara's appeal against the ticket had been refused by the Council's parking services... but having read the article Councillor Farnell stepped in.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/102434/council-refuses-to-cancel-parking-ticket-issued-to-good-samaritan

He said: "I could not believe this story when I read it on Rochdale Online. I have now instructed the Director to cancel the ticket and to refund the fine - together with a letter of apology.

"I have been demanding a complete overhaul of parking policies to prevent this kind of ridiculous situation arising in the future. It's about time parking services got on with it.

"It is completely unacceptable that someone dealing with an emergency and trying to save a life should have been booked by a jobsworth traffic warden. I just don't know what they are thinking about half the time.

"Their actions are making the council look heartless and uncaring and that is just not on.

"I am asking that traffic wardens attend a crash course in common sense in dealing with these kind of situations in the future. I know they do a difficult job but they got it badly wrong in this instance."

Commenting, local Lib Dem Leader Councillor Andy Kelly said: "This is the common sense, correct decision.

"I would like to thank Rochdale Online for bringing the matter to the public's attention. Let's face it, if it wasn't for them running the story this good Samaritan would have just had to pay. It just goes to show that Rochdale benefits from a news organisation based here that speaks up for injustice."