Priest is prepared to go to jail over parking fine
A priest has vowed to go to jail rather than pay a parking ticket dished out to his church ambulance.
Father Frank Daly, of St Peter's Church in Hinckley, is refusing to pay the fine, which was issued at the annual Churches Together Good Friday event.
The vehicle was being used to transport disabled people home from the annual lunchtime Easter service.
County Council bosses have said the ticket stands, as the ambulance was parked in a loading bay.
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But Father Frank said: "I am prepared to go to jail over this.
"As the driver of the vehicle, the fine applies to me and I can say that I have no intention whatsoever of paying it, no matter what the consequences of this may be.
"I know I have the full support of fellow church leaders in the town, who are appalled that such a thing could happen."
Father Frank said he had been using the ambulance to take people home from the service for five years.
He said: "A number of elderly and disabled people are able to join the walk from St Peter's Church because it is downhill, but are unable to return.
"Accordingly, for the past five years I have brought our ambulance for disabled people down to the Market Place beforehand, attached the necessary blue badge to it and also an explanation of why it is there, and there has never been any trouble. This year, despite all the documentation being in place, a parking ticket was issued. It has caused anger and resentment and spoiled what was a very special occasion.
"I cannot say whether this was the result of some form of anti-church policy, a desire to make more money for the county council, over-excessive bureaucracy or just plain stupidity, but what I can say, along with everyone else present, is that it is totally absurd."
The priest said he had fallen foul of wardens earlier this year, when he made a 10-minute emergency visit to a woman whose husband had just died.
In the short time he was away from his vehicle, a parking ticket was issued. When he explained the reason to Leicestershire County Council, he was informed his visit was "not of sufficient importance to warrant some flexibility".
Father Frank said: "There is a matter of principle at stake here which I am not prepared to let go."
A county council spokesman said: "The ticket was issued because the vehicle was parked incorrectly, in a loading bay.
"The disabled badge does not permit parking there. Having reviewed the circumstances surrounding the issuing of the parking ticket, it has been concluded that are no grounds for the ticket to be cancelled.
"Father Daly has a further opportunity to make a formal challenge against the parking ticket and details of how to do this have been included in the correspondence sent to him.''
Comments
by blazingbill
Wednesday, May 16 2012, 1:20PM
“Having local knowledge of the area "Market Place Hinckley" it may also be worth noting that unless Farher Frank has been given the code (which I very much doubt) to the rising bollard at the top of the street, he would have also driven the wrong way up a one way street before being able to park illegally in the "Loading Only" bay. Maybe all offences should be excused if you are on church business!”
by golliwogger
Monday, April 23 2012, 5:12AM
“Just another typical case of government corruption. I remember the times English people would have marched to city hall over this. English people have become sheep, slaves to their politicians.”
by DonHenson
Sunday, April 22 2012, 5:22PM
“The priest is looking for flexibility for a group of disabled parishioners, not for himself.
If the council won't accept that visiting a person who has just been bereaved is not important - well, I hope they never have the misfortune to need such a visit.
This is about revenue for the council. Nothing more or less.”
by upthecity
Sunday, April 22 2012, 12:02AM
“there a hgv that stops at my local shop completely blocking a bus stop layby
for at least half a hour he has no care as to what he's doing.
this is a man of the cloth have some respect people it's not about punishment he was doing good deeds not fetching some milk or going to the bank or being lazy out of disrespect all I can see is some spiteful people venting there views .”
by Boy_Bono
Saturday, April 21 2012, 11:07PM
“@prog_rock_fan
You use a quote which you aren't abiding by. Also, mentioning Muslims is relevant in the sense that religion IS mentioned in the newspapers.
I think you need to stop being so "understanding". To be honest, the reason this country is screwed is because of people like you who agree by people not taking responsibility, for example the Father in this case - he clearly violated a parking regulation regardless of how good his reason was. So, do rules and policies not matter then? He violated parking regulations - he should get the fine like ALL OTHER motorists.
You know, heh, it's no wonder this country is going downhill because people don't believe in punishments - and you, sir, are part of that group of people.”
by LikeItaLot
Saturday, April 21 2012, 10:51PM
“CambsExile
I guarantee you that if it was a non-Christian religious vehicle, the PCN would be scrapped! Why doesn't Keith Vaz get involved in this? Oh I forget it doesn't affect HIS community now does it......."
That is pathetic.”
by Carmedic
Saturday, April 21 2012, 10:45PM
“by CambsExile
Saturday, April 21 2012, 4:57PM
As a disabled driver, I can assure YOU that there is nothing more annoying than arriving somewhere and finding a HGV blocking disabled parking spaces (which happens more than someone parking in a 'loading' bay.
But if a truck is blocking a disabled bay CambsExile it's probably because the loading bay is either blocked or busy and chances are the driver is either in his cab or not far away.”
by jimbob6163
Saturday, April 21 2012, 8:38PM
“Fare cop the priest is going to Jail he did wrong and now its time to pay the price just because you got away with parking in the wrong place for years does not act as an excuss”
by CGLee
Saturday, April 21 2012, 8:18PM
“You could be right redcat. I had spotted my "typo" but didn't realise that would cause the censoring. perhaps the letters c u m followed by "satan" triggered it. I'll have to be more careful in future!”
by redcat
Saturday, April 21 2012, 7:17PM
“by CGLeeSaturday, April 21 2012, 8:28AM
"Isn't this automatic censoring of posts ridiculous? Obviously foul and offensive language cannot be permitted, but clearly the system needs tweaking."
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I think the automatic sensoring was only triggered because you typed cir***satances instead of circumstances, therefore it didn't recognise the word and deleted the slang word within it.”