Home Page Haverhill News

Private hire driver Frederick Moore says he was shocked when a parking ticket was slapped on his car while he was helping a mum and her young son.

Mr Moore's boss, Steve Hearn, of Haverhill High Street firm ABC Cars, said he also received a ticket last week.

However, Haverhill Town Clerk Gordon Mussett said the drivers had no case for refusing to pay the fine and revealed they could be breaking the law every time they helped a customer.

Mr Moore said he parked his car on the double yellow lines opposite his firm, outside The White Hart pub at around 10.50am on tuesday to help Melanie Crick to his car with her son Joshua, his pushchair and her shopping.

He said there was nowhere else to park to help the pair from ABC Cars' waiting room.

"It all happened in a split second. I left the vehicle and the traffic warden pounced," claimed Mr Moore, of Spindle Road, Haverhill.

He is now having to pay the £30 fine for parking his car on the double yellow lines.

"I had the customer in the vehicle and he told me not to move until he had written the ticket out," said Mr Moore, who has been a town private hire driver for seven years.

"I've been to the police station and they've told me that any time I stop my vehicle there I am breaking the law."

Haverhill sector commander Insp Mark Jepson said he could not comment on Mr Moore's case specifically, but said, "People do abuse the yellow lines by parking on them so there is a fairly rigorous enforcement with legislation because, if we don't, we will equally receive numerous complaints saying we are not dealing with it."

Referring to the traffic warden, Mr Hearn added: "All he had to do was poke his head through the door and say move the car."