A man was slapped with a parking ticket which was issued after he was late to return to his car due to him helping an elderly lady who fell over.
David Peake, 60, received a £60 parking fine after being 14 minutes late returning to his car on November 5 on Angouleme Way Retail Park in Bury.
David, from Westhoughton, a frequent Bury Market customer, drove from Bolton to buy black pudding for his mum - expecting to be there around 30 minutes - so he could make it back to her care home at 1pm.
But when he was leaving the market, an elderly lady fell and David stopped to help.
The delay left him returning late to his car and weeks later David was ordered to pay a £60 fine by operator Smart Parking.
He said: “I was in a rush to get back and see my mum when a lady fell on the market.
“I helped her up and grabbed her shopping from the floor and people working at a nearby stall came to help clean her up and call paramedics."
David was "so frustrated" after being fined.
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He said: "It isn’t about the parking charge, it’s the principle of being expected to walk past and ignore someone who needed help because I over my free time in the car park.”
Due to the postal strikes, when David finally received the charge, it had already been increased from £60 to £110.
He appealed against paying the ticket and explained his situation and the delay from postal strikes but the charges were upheld.
He said: “My mum died in December and on the same day she passed, I received their letter.
“I’ve been grieving, clearing out her room at the home, sorting her death certificate and funeral so the last thing on my mind was that ticket."
He said he contacted the parking firm and even offered to send a copy of his mum's death certificate to prove he was telling the truth.
The ordeal left David "extremely upset", especially after he discovered that he was over the company’s 10-minute grace period by four minutes.
He said: “I love Bury Market, it is like going back in time and glimpsing what Bolton Market used to be like when I worked there.
“I just can’t believe this has happened, it won’t stop me from using the market but I will never park there again."
But after the Bury Times contacted Smart Parking, David's car park ticket has now been cancelled as an "act of compassion".
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A company spokesperson said: "Smart Parking was brought in to manage the car park at the Angouleme Way Retail Park to stop parking abuse and ensure genuine customers can find somewhere to park.
“In the case of Mr Peake, we only have records of him visiting the site three times.
"On his first two visits, he paid for parking, but on his final visit, he didn't and was correctly issued with a charge.
“However, as an act of compassion on this occasion, we have decided to cancel his charge."
David said he was glad the issue had been resolved but felt he needed to warn others who may find themselves in a similar situation.
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He added: “I don’t feel like they had been very compassionate to me.
“I have visited that car park many times in different vehicles and feel that if people could pay when they are leaving instead, this wouldn’t happen.
“People would feel like they can shop around and browse without worrying about the time.”
If you have a story tweet @BuryTimes or @Heywoodharriet_ you can also email Harriet.Heywood@newsquest.co.uk
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