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An NHS worker was stunned when she was given a £100 parking fine - even though she was saving a man's life after he collapsed in the street.

Margaret Kidson rushed to help the man, who was having an epileptic attack, outside a shopping centre in Kent.

The 60-year-old looked after him and made sure he wasn't hurt, but this took her 11 minutes over the time limit.

When she was sent a £60 fine she appealed, confident that her excuse would be deemed reasonable.

But operators Smart Parking Ltd - who enforce fines at the Erith Riverside Shopping Centre - threw out her protest, and upped the fine to £100.

However this morning a spokesman told Mirror Online that the fine had been cancelled "as an act of goodwill".

(Image: Google)

She told The Sun before the hefty fine was written off: "I think it's disgusting. I was coming to the aid of someone."

When she spotted the man in October, she gave him first aid to ensure he did not choke on his own vomit.

(Image: iStockphoto)

She stayed with him for 20 minutes, saying that it would not have been safe to leave him on his own.

Margaret, who works in the drug and alcohol service at the nearby Erith Health Centre said: "You can't leave them, they could die."

She said she waited by his side until nurses arrived to help him - not expecting to be hit by a fine.

In total she was with the man for around 20 minutes, meaning she would have otherwise been back comfortably before her time ran out.

What to do if someone has an epileptic seizure 1. Stay calm 2. Look around - is the person in a dangerous place? If not, don't move them. Move objects like furniture away from them 3. Note the time the seizure starts 4. Stay with them - If they don't collapse but seem blank or confused, gently guide them away from any danger. Speak quietly and calmly. 5. Cushion their head with something soft if they have collapsed to the ground. 6. Don't hold them down 7. Don't put anything in their mouth 8. Check the time again - If a convulsive (shaking) seizure doesn't stop after 5 minutes, call for an ambulance (dial 999) 9. After the seizure has stopped, put them into the recovery position and check that their breathing is returning to normal 10. Stay with them until they are fully recovered Source: The Epilepsy Society

Guidance from the Epilepsy Society says anyone helping a person having a seizure should stay with them, and call an ambulance if it does not stop within five minutes.

After the seizure ends, the patient should be put in the recovery position, and first aiders should stay with them until they are recovered.

A spokesman from Spark Parking Ltd said: “We have cancelled the charge as an act of goodwill."