This Parking Enforcement Services officer was photographed after parking his work vehicle in a disability space in Christchurch at lunchtime on Monday.

A Christchurch parking warden may well be regretting his Monday lunch choice after he was snapped with his work car parked in a mobility space while he collected his food.

A shopper took a photo of the man and his Parking Enforcement Services car, which was parked in the mobility space outside an Indian restaurant in the suburb of Hornby.

The photographer, who did not want to be named, said the driver looked "very abashed" when confronted after buying his lunch and said "I was only here for a minute".

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF Wilson Parking, of which Parking Enforcement Services is its ticketing division, have around 300 parking facilities in New Zealand.

He said the driver did not appear disabled and the vehicle did not display a mobility parking permit.

Motorists wrongly parking in a mobility parking space can be fined $150.

Parking Enforcement Services is the ticketing division of Hong Kong-based giant Wilson Parking.

JOHN KIRK-ANDERSON/STUFF Wilson Parking is New Zealand's largest private parking company.

The company has attracted public criticism for its $65 tickets for motorists overstaying their welcome in Wilson parks, a charge increased to $85 if unpaid after three weeks. The rough state of its parks in post-earthquake Christchurch has also attracted flak.

The company runs nearly 300 parks across New Zealand.

Parking Enforcement Services says on its website that it is a professional operation with professional, trained, security-licensed enforcement officers.

A Wilson Parking spokeswoman said they were disappointed their strict operating procedures for staff, both on- and off-duty, had not been followed.

"This was an error in judgement and while the officer was off-duty collecting his lunch, he clearly stopped in a mobility park for which he did not have a permit.

"We take this incident very seriously and expect our employees to respect parking bays which have been designated as mobility parking.

"We have followed up with the officer in question who is being taken through the appropriate processes to address this."

About 130,000 Kiwis have mobility parking permits. Charity CCS Disability Action issues the permits and advocates to improve public attitudes to mobility issues.

A New Zealand Facebook page called "You've got my Car Park, want my Disability too?" has been set up to name and shame able-bodied drivers using mobility parks.

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