Tickets controversially dished out to motorists “dangerously” parked in a car park during a town’s Remembrance Day service have been withdrawn.

Thousands flocked to Dartford town centre yesterday (November 10) for its annual parade and commemoration of members of the armed forces who made the ultimate sacrifice.

But many who had parked at the Acacia Car Park to make the short journey to the War Memorial for the 10.40am service were left outraged upon their return to find penalty charge notices (PCN) slapped to their windscreens for not parking in the assigned bays.

Many vented their fury online with one attendee branding the decision “disgraceful and disgusting”, while another called it “a money-making exercise”.

A youth club organiser, who was in attendance, said: “Unfortunately, there are some of us that like to give back to the community by giving out time, money and effort in giving young people a sense of worth.

“That, sometimes takes up more time than we have, and we get places a little later than most.

“Okay, so we couldn’t find a car parking space, which meant we had to park where we could. No obstruction, no one blocked in, and plenty of room for a fire engine.”

However, the council says its enforcement team witnessed “incredibly dangerous” parking which it says had the potential to impact emergency plans should something have happened at a big event such as the parade.

The local authority has since confirmed that 23 PCNs were issued at Acacia Car Park, and five at the lot for Mansion House Gardens for not parking in bays or designated areas.

But, despite being within its rights to hand out the fines, Dartford council has decided to withdraw tickets issued at the two car parks between 9.30am and 1pm. And if motorists have already paid they will be refunded.

Explaining the “common sense” reasoning behind the decision, council leader Jeremy Kite (Con), told KentOnline: “Our car parks may have been free yesterday but there is still a requirement to park safely in the bays.

“I try always to be straightforward with people and having seen some of the photos it is clear that some of the parking was not good and would have caused considerable problems to others.

“I have seen some appalling parking, people have got to take a little bit of responsibility.”

He explained some of the cars were parked across pavements, on junctions and corners of the road causing obstructions for pedestrians and making it difficult for people with disabilities and mobility needs.

Cllr Kite, who also responded to a flurry of comments online, added: “It is easy to knock councils, but we try to be a common sense authority.

“We put a lot of effort into making events like Remembrance Day run safely and be accessible to as many people as possible.

“It would be a shame if such a beautiful occasion were to become remarkable for the wrong reasons so officers have agreed to withdraw the tickets.

“I think it is the right decision to take and I hope it will make people think about how they are parking and the issues it can cause for mobility.”

A spokesperson for the council added: “We are withdrawing the tickets as it would be deeply regrettable for this to overshadow what was a very poignant and moving Remembrance event.

“Going forward, we want to encourage as many people as possible to come and enjoy the town and the many events on our calendar.

“We will try to improve signage and offer more advice for drivers when big events are taking place but ask all drivers to park responsibly.”

Around 7,500 people attended the annual Remembrance Day parade.