A motorist was slapped with a parking fine by an unsympathetic traffic warden when his 1951 Land Rover broke down.
Musician John Cadman was unable to move his vehicle off double yellow lines in Tring High Street when his gear stick broke.
But his pleas with an eager traffic warden fell on deaf ears and he was given a £65 penalty notice.
John, of Cheddington, who is in the process of appealing the fine, said: “The car was instantly pounced on by the most uncivil traffic warden, who despite me showing him the uselessly rotating gear stick, continued to totally disregard my explanation of why I had broken down and issued me with a parking ticket.
“No wonder Tring often nowadays resembles a ghost town, as this sort of attitude really does give a town an anti-motorist reputation and like myself simply drive to a more hospitable town to shop.”
Dacorum Borough Council spokesman Leida Smith said: Once a civil enforcement officer starts producing a penalty charge notice (PCN) they are not permitted to withdraw it, they have no discretion in this matter.
“The vehicle owner can make an informal challenge within 14 days if they believe that the PCN has been issued incorrectly or if there are extenuating circumstances.”
Visit www.dacorum.gov.uk/parking for more