A Stevenage grandfather is fuming after he was given a parking ticket while a mechanic was trying to fix his broken down car.

Anthony Payne of St Albans Drive had just dropped his daughter and grandson off at the rear of Westgate shopping centre in the town on Thursday lunchtime when his car failed to start. He called Green Flag who said they would be there within the hour.

While he was waiting a female traffic warden told him he would have to move or get a ticket. Despite explaining he was broken down and a mechanic turning up while they talking, he was still given a �70 fine.

“I explained the situation to the warden. I went to start the engine to show her. She proceeded to write me out a ticket. It’s disgusting. She could see I was in distress,” The 51-year-old Lister Hospital security guard said.

“She said these are the rules and this is what they’ve got to do. There was a guy standing there trying to fix my car. It’s not as if I was lying. I couldn’t go anywhere. I couldn’t even push it. I was so angry.

“These wardens are jobsworths. There’s no need to do it. There’s got to be some leniency.”

A spokesman for the borough council said although there was no fixed policy on giving out parking tickets to stranded motorists, traffic wardens should use their common sense in these situations.

He said if evidence of a breakdown is included in an appeal to the parking office, the fine will be waived.