Bournemouth: Singer gets parking ticket for parking at the bus station

A singer is stunned after being ordered to park his car at a bus stop – only to be fined.

Singer Martin Murphy looked for a place to unload the band gear before a charity event in Bournemouth, Dorset.

A council marshal pointed him in the direction of a nearby area reserved for buses.

After Martin unloaded his heavy equipment, he returned to his car to take it to a nearby parking lot.

But he was shocked to spot a bright yellow parking ticket on his bonnet.

The singer asked the council marshal what happened and was told a traffic cop approached the car and “completely ignored” him.

“I’ve never experienced anything like this,” Martin said in astonishment.

“I’ve seen some weird tickets in the past but nothing as bad as this when you’re told by a council worker to do something just so someone else can pay for the car.

“I would get it if I actively made that decision to ignore the rules, but I did what I was instructed to do.”

Martin’s protests fell on deaf ears when the local council rejected his appeal over the fine.

The cancer charity event the singer performed at raised more than £100,000.

Martin has argued that strict road rules will impact artists across Bournemouth who are safely transporting their gear to similar gigs and events.

In response to his appeal, the Council Parks Management Division said they did not believe Mr Murphy had presented a valid reason for the fine to be overturned.

A spokesman for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council said: “It is the driver’s responsibility to be aware of and comply with the Highway Code and any signs and lines that may be in place at any time before parking their vehicle.

“We cannot discuss the details of individual fines.

“When a driver challenges a PCN, we write to advise what options are available. These include filing formal representation and the ability to go to the Traffic Penalty Criminal Court to appeal.

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