A Good Samaritan given a parking ticket while dropping off bags of donations to a charity shop is calling for some compassion from over-zealous traffic wardens.

Steven Gillham, manager of Topps Tiles in Wincheap, Canterbury, says he stopped for no more than four minutes in Burgate and was clearly unloading bags for the Cancer Research UK shop when he was hit with the fine.

The 25-year-old claims a picture of him taken by the parking attendant was snapped before he had even got out of his car.

He said: “If he’d come over and said I couldn’t park there I would have said ‘no problem’.

“Instead, he waited for me to go into the shop.”

Mr Gillham, who lives in Canterbury, says he had driven around trying to find somewhere to park on Thursday, May 2, and the nearby Queningate car park was full.

He pulled up outside Chapter restaurant, opposite the charity shop.

“I stopped there so I wouldn’t block cars as there’s a taxi rank near there,” he said.

“I ran into the charity shop and asked if I could drop the bags off. She said that was fine so I got the bags out of the boot and dropped it all in.

"Just before I left she asked me to fill in a gift aid form. I was no longer than four minutes.

“When I walked outside, the traffic warden came up and said ‘you’ve got a ticket’.”

Mr Gillham says he chose Cancer Research UK due to his friend battling stage four cancer and also losing family members to the disease.

"He waited for me to go into the shop...” - Steven Gillham

“This is the first time I’ve donated so I was specific about which charity shop I chose,” he added.

Beata Zajac, manager of the Cancer Research shop in Burgate, said: "It is very upsetting that a customer wanting to support a cancer charity ended up with a ticket.

“The charity works because we rely on donations from customers. If this somehow stops them donating this will have a massive impact on the shop’s performance and on the whole charity.

“I understand there are rules but if a customer is there for just a few minutes, I wonder if there could be some flexibility.”

If this somehow stops them donating this will have a massive impact on the shop’s performance and on the whole charity..." - Beata Zajac, Cancer Research

Council spokesman Rob Davies said: “This penalty charge notice (PCN) was issued in a ‘no waiting at any time’ zone.

"There are clear double yellow lines with kerb markings and a street plate to this effect. Parking in this area is therefore an instant contravention and no observation time is required.

“We have reviewed the enforcement officer’s notes and are satisfied the PCN was correctly issued.”

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