A PUB landlord who was slapped with a parking fine as he was rushed to hospital suffering from an epileptic seizure has been told he still has to pay.

Allan Brindley, who runs the Kings Arms in Amesbury, challenged the ticket on grounds of the emergency but Wiltshire Council has insisted it was issued correctly.

Mr Brindley, 64, said: “In order for the ambulance to gain access to our single entry drive and for the paramedics to get access to the fire escape where they got me out, my daughter moved our car across the road and into the car park in Church Street.

“She said there were people next to the parking meter and a sign saying it was out of order so she rushed back to help here. We appealed the fine and the council was quite welcome to check with the hospital but all they were concerned about was that a ticket had been issued.

“It’s unbelievable. I think they should look into a bit further as the facts are there but they’re not interested.”

In rejecting Mr Brindley’s appeal, Wiltshire Council states that there had been no reported machine faults on November 20, the day Mr Brindley was taken by ambulance to Salisbury District Hospital.

A council spokesman said that the parking attendant had not observed the ambulance on the scene, having arrived at Church Street Car Park after it had already left for the hospital.

He said: “The civil enforcement officer checked other cars parked nearby.

“She was not approached by anyone during this time period, and did not observe anybody leave the car park, or return to the vehicle. After a 12-minute period she served a penalty charge notice and noted that there was nobody at the scene to advise. The officer was in the location for a total of 20 minutes.”