Traffic warden slaps parking ticket on council gardening buggy

We've seen all manner of unfortunate vehicles ticketed, whether it's a grieving man in a hospital car park or a resident whose van overhangs a double yellow line by a few centimetres.

News that a council worker's gardening buggy received a £70 fine as he cleared leaves in Tenterden, Kent surely tops the list of most ridiculous tickets ever issued.

Council maintenance worker David Bourner parked his two-seater John Deere buggy on a verge beside a flowerbed in Tenterden High Street while he cleared leaves.

When he returned, the vehicle sported the recognisable yellow package plastered to the windscreen containing the £70 penalty notice.

Tenterden Town Council have now written to Ashford Borough Council to contest the decision.

Town clerk Hester Deackes said: 'It was rather a shock. The buggy wasn't even on the road.

"It was on the grass verge, but had crossed yellow lines to get there, which was deemed to have been the crime.

"David had temporarily left it to work elsewhere in the High Street and when he came back he found the ticket. He was pretty cross."

Local businessman Guy Day, 42, who photographed the ticket on the buggy, said: "What are the traffic wardens thinking about? They're giving tickets to each other now. We'd be much better off without them."

Ashford Borough Council reinforced the reasons why the penalty notice was issued but has now cancelled the ticket, stating: "We can confirm a penalty charge notice was issued to the vehicle, as it appeared, following a period of observation, that a contravention had occurred.

"We received a representation on this matter from Tenterden Town Council which we have considered and the notice has now been cancelled."