A motorist was shocked to return to find her parked car hemmed in by newly painted yellow lines — and a TICKET on her windscreen.
Claire White, 35, had parked in the same spot – just around the corner from her house – for 16 years.
But Claire was stunned to find dozy council officials had painted double yellow lines right up to her rear bumper and away from the front of the Citroen C1.
A bungling traffic warden then deemed she had committed a parking offence and slapped a parking ticket on her car.
Red faced highways bosses later apologised and urged Ms White, who works at Boots the chemist, to contest the £50 fine.
Claire, a single mother, from Marlborough, Wilts, said: ”I couldn’t believe my eyes to come back and find a parking ticket on my car.
”There were no signs up warning this was going to happen. There has always been an unwritten agreement that here would be space for five cars to park in the neighbouring street.
”I have been parking there for 16 years and I haven’t even heard of any plan to increase parking restrictions in the road.”
The gap in the yellow lines where Ms White’s Citroen C1 stood has now been painted over.
Wiltshire Council said its traffic warden had mistakenly ticketed Ms White’s car because road restrictions had been changed to allow for two hours parking only.
A spokesman said: ”We would encourage Ms White to submit and appeal and we will cancel the Penalty Charge Notice once we have been able to check all the details.
”Recent changes to the parking orders in Marlborough have, as with the rest of Wiltshire, come about as a result of feedback from local people, businesses, the emergency services and highway experts.
”The changes were fully advertised and consulted upon.”
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