Parking ticket was issued in Oswestry despite van owner only being away for three minutes

Dale Pritchard, owner of Happy House Heliums, was unloading his van after Enrico Vittone, the owner of a new Italian restaurant, asked for help transporting items across Oswestry.

Mr Pritchard said he had been away from his van for as “little as three minutes” before he noticed a parking officer issuing a ticket on his van.

“I was helping Enrico and I had parked in the loading bay opposite his new shop in Church Street,” he said.

“I was inside the shop for no longer than three or four minutes, and when I got back to my van I received a phone call.

“I moved closer to NatWest bank to get a better reception on my phone and turned my back on my van. When I turned around, there was a parking officer giving me a ticket.”

Despite returning to his van, the businessman was issued a parking ticket for £35.

“I asked the warden why she had issued the ticket and she said I hadn’t been by my van, even though I was stood right by it.

“I just think it’s ridiculous.”

It follows similar incidents the Advertizer has reported earlier this year.

Jason Edwards, of AC Edwards and Sons, was faced with a parking ticket while packing up his stall in the pouring rain following a Wednesday market.

Just a week before that, resident Zoe Calloway received a fine for parking in a loading bay while dropping off items at a charity shop.

Shaun Sutton, Shropshire Council’s public protection officer supervisor, said: “A Shropshire Council civil enforcement officer issued a penalty charge notice to a commercial vehicle that was in contravention of a loading bay restriction on Church Street Oswestry on July 26.

“That commercial vehicle received a 15-minute observation period before the penalty charge notice was issued – and during that observation period, the civil enforcement officer did not witness any loading or unloading take place.

“Anyone can appeal a penalty charge notice by visiting the Shropshire Council website.”