A TRAFFIC warden issued an elderly woman with a parking ticket for pulling up outside a charity shop to donate clothing.

Frances Hollands, from St Osyth, planned on doing a good deed in the run up to Christmas by donating two large bags to the Salvation Army, at Jackson Road, Clacton.

She parked outside the shop, leaving her hazard lights on as she intended on leaving the vehicle for a few minutes, when a traffic warden issued her with a penalty charge notice at 2.57pm.

Mrs Hollands said she normally gets the bus, but decided to drive to the charity shop because the bags were too heavy to carry with her on public transport.

She said: “I indicated and parked outside of the shop and left my hazard lights on as I knew I would only be about five minutes in total.

“As I was handing over the large bags of clothes, the customers in the shop told me that a traffic warden was putting a ticket on my car. I hurried over as he was placing a ticket on my car and told him that it wasn’t fair and that I’d only been left my car for a few minutes.

“The manager came out with me and reiterated what I had said, but he refused to listen.”

Mrs Hollands has now appealed to North Essex Parking Partnership.

A North Essex Parking Partnership spokesman said: “A penalty charge notice was issued in this case because the vehicle was parked in a ‘no loading at any time’ restriction.

“If a motorist believes a penalty charge notice has been issued incorrectly, they can challenge it by submitting a written appeal, which allows the particular circumstances of the case to be considered by the partnership.

"A reply noting the outcome of any challenge will be sent to the motorist.”

Mrs Hollands added: “I’m really upset I might have to pay an expensive fine right before Christmas and I want to warn other people who want to help charities around the festive period.”