A council buggy ticketed by parking wardens on a grass verge in Tenterden

by Tricia Jamieson

Traffic wardens have proved the grass isn't always greener – by ticketing a town council-owned vehicle parked on a verge while workers cleared leaves.

The two-seater buggy was slapped with the £70 fine while it was on the grassy area in Tenterden High Street yesterday.

Town council maintenance man David Bourner was using it to clear leaves and had parked it while he worked further down the street.

The ticket was cancelled today after Tenterden town council appealed to John Burns, Ashford council's parking services manager.

​Speaking before the ticket was cancelled, town clerk Hester Deackes said: "It was rather a shock. The buggy was not even on the road.

"what were the traffic wardens thinking about? they're giving tickets to each other now..." – businessman guy day

"It was on the grass verge, but had crossed yellow lines to get there, which was deemed to have been the crime.

"We were using it to clear leaves in Manor Row, which is not even our responsibility.

"David had temporarily left it to work elsewhere in the High Street and when he came back, he found the ticket – he was pretty cross."

The buggy belongs to the town council and is used for maintenance work and gardening. It is taxed and insured for use on the road.

Businessman Guy Day, who took the picture above, said: "What were the traffic wardens thinking about? They're giving tickets to each other now!"

His picture sparked a debate on the Tenterden Forum, with people expressing their disbelief.

One person said: "You couldn't make it up", while another posted: "I drove past and could not believe what I was seeing. Our local elected borough councillors should without any doubt sort this situation out before Tenterden loses all its trade due to its stupid wardens."

It is understood the warden was new and, when he asked if he should issue a ticket to a vehicle parked on the grass, he did not specify that it was a town council vehicle.

A Tenterden town council spokesman said: "The ticket has now been cancelled, and measures put in place by both Ashford Borough Council and Tenterden Town Council to ensure that this does not occur again."

An Ashford Borough Council spokesman said: "We can confirm a penalty charge notice (PCN) was issued to the vehicle, as it appeared, following a period of observation, that a contravention had occurred."

The £70 fine would have been reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days.

Traffic wardens have been criticised recently for ticketing tourist coaches and hit the headlines in 2005 when a Rotary Club Christmas charity collection vehicle got a ticket.