'Jobsworth' parking warden blasted for giving ambulance a ticket

By Emma Gritt

A video showing an ambulance being given a parking ticket outside Tesco has sparked outrage.

This is the moment a parking warden slapped a ticket on an ambulance parked on double yellow lines - later admitting that he was "proud" of himself.

Outraged passerby Ian French, 47, videoed paramedics being given a ticket as they took their first break in eight hours, and despite explaining to the unnamed warden that their vehicle wouldn't fit in a standard parking bay, were still slapped with a fine.

In the clip, Ian can be heard explaining that the paramedics were on call, but the warden answers: "It's not on call - she was having lunch. Where's the sirens?

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"They are getting some food so they are not on call are they?"

The incident happened outside Tesco at Kingsmead Square, Northwich, Cheshire, at around 3pm on Tuesday after the crew stopped off to pick up a drink.

Seeing what was going on as she left the store, the female paramedic asks where she should park because the ambulance doesn't fit in any of the bays apart from disabled spots, which she adds she is not willing to use.

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She says: "I've been on since quarter to seven this morning. I've had nothing to drink and nothing to eat, and now I'd like to go to Tesco to get some water."

He answers: "I understand, that's fine, you can do that, but you can't be parking on a double yellow line, can you?"

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It is understood the attendant does not work for Tesco, but works for a private firm.

Ian claims the cap-wearing attendant later told him he was "proud" of issuing the ticket, prompting him to publicly shame him.

He said: "I felt so strongly about the unfairness of what was happening that I started filming on my iPhone, hoping to bring attention to what was happening to the hardworking paramedics.

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"I believe they were just collecting some food and water eight hours into their shift.

"It is a private parking firm working for the landlord, who I believe owns the car park and the businesses around it.

"The parking enforcement signs were only installed a few weeks ago. The locals are not happy about it, nor are some of the businesses."

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People have reacted angrily to the video, with many labelling the parking warden a "jobsworth" and accusing him of having "no compassion".

However, not everyone has taken the side of the ambulance crew in this parking dispute.

One person commented on Twitter: "I don’t want to say they were in the wrong but as the ambulance was not responding to a call they must follow all road laws."

Another said: "Surely they could’ve parked up properly tho? Above the law."

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