A CANCER sufferer claims a traffic warden saw her buy a parking ticket for an urgent hospital appointment before slapping a fine on her car just four minutes later.

Gail Brown was called in to the University Hospital of North Durham (UHND) in Durham at short notice last Thursday (September 25) by doctors wanting to discuss her upcoming chemotherapy treatment, which begins this Thursday (October 2).

The 40-year-old, who is battling breast cancer for the second time, bought a £1 ticket for two hours’ stay in the privately-run Southfield Way car park and husband David Brown placed it on the dashboard of their Nissan Micra.

But on their return an hour-and-a-half later, the couple, who live near Durham, were shocked to find a £45 fine.

Their ticket had flipped onto its reverse, hiding the expiry time from view.

But – to their anger – they discovered the fine had been issued just four minutes after, Mrs Brown says, she bought the ticket in full view of a parking attendant.

“I felt awful coming out of the chemotherapy ward and then I just burst into tears. To come back to that was really upsetting,” Mrs Brown said.

Kelvin Mupungu, director of LDK Security Group which runs the car park, said there had been no valid ticket on display and so the Micra was parked in violation of the facility’s clearly displayed terms and conditions.

The patrol officer utterly refuted Mrs Brown’s allegations, he added.

The couple are now considering whether to appeal to LDK and potentially to Popla (Parking on Private Land Appeals).

If not paid within 28 days, the fine doubles to £90.

This is not the first time LDK has been criticised over the car park.

Last year, Kevin Hodges, from Spennymoor, was fined for staying one minute over his time while medics told him his father had terminal lung cancer and Mandy Eggleston, of Coxhoe, was fined after her ticket blew away.

Durham City MP Roberta Blackman-Woods asked the firm to issue sticky-backed tickets but this has not yet happened.

The car park is popular with hospital visitors and patients as it is cheaper than the official facility for short stays.