Fined for parking on his own drive

Panayiotis Keramiotis, 71, of Stafford Street, in Old Town, was stunned to discover a penalty notice attached to the windscreen of his classic VW Beetle last Monday.

Parking attendants even produced photographic evidence.

The next day the pensioner with letter in hand marched down to Swindon Council's Euclid Street offices to protest. He says an assistant promised to look into the incident and told him the penalty may be withdrawn.

But on Saturday Mr Keramiotis received a letter to say he must still cough up the £30 within 14 days or face a larger fine of £60. The retired Pressed Steel worker said: "I am absolutely disgusted it's ridiculous.

"What is happening when a man no longer has the right to park his car on his own drive?"

Although one of the photographs taken by the attendant appears to show the car's rear bumper hanging onto the pavement, Mr Keramiotis believes discretion should have been used.

He said: "I can't understand why I have been issued this ticket. My other car, which has been off the road for 10 years, is parked in an identical position and that wasn't ticketed.

"It is just the bumper that hangs slighty over but it's not causing a problem for people wanting to walk by."

Mr Keramiotis, who emigrated from his native Greece in 1961, said he is prepared to go to court to contest the fine. "I am a pensioner and I cannot afford to pay parking fines," he said. "In June I was fined £60 for stopping for 10 minutes to collect my pension from the main post office in the town centre. I have lived in Stafford Street since 1976 and this has never happened before."

The letter sent to the pensioner read: "The parking attendant has produced a photograph which clearly shows your vehicle parked partly on the pavement.

"The double yellow lines, which run outside your house, are enforceable from the centre of the highway to the building line, which includes the pavement. Therefore the Penalty Charge Notice was issued correctly."

Kevin Shoesmith