'Good Samaritan' gets parking ticket while helping cyclist

A motorist who pulled over to administer first aid to a cyclist has been given a parking ticket after a camera car saw her in a loading bay.

Janet Young from Bristol went to the man's aid in Church Road, St George, after he came off his bike.

The council said it followed the letter of the law when issuing penalties.

However, Mrs Young lodged an appeal and after studying pictures of the incident the council later cancelled the penalty notice.

Mrs Young said the cyclist clipped a pavement, came off his bike and "landed on his head".

She said despite the ticket she would do the same thing again.

"I think anyone would, of course we would, it's just [instinctive] to help someone in need," the receptionist added.

"It was an enforcement car [that caught me] so they would have seen the accident."

'Considered sympathetically'

Ms Young admitted that she had parked in a restricted area of the road, but said the "safe place" was the only space available near the incident.

A spokeswoman from the city council confirmed that Ms Young had received a penalty charge notice for parking in a no-loading/unloading area.

"Appeals are considered sympathetically in certain circumstances, providing there is evidence," a city council spokeswoman added.

"We received Mrs Young's appeal this morning and will be writing to her this afternoon to confirm that the penalty notice has been cancelled."

Bristol mayor George Ferguson took to Twitter to express his view that the incident had been "sorted" and the ticket had been "rightly withdrawn".

The city's first mobile enforcement car was rolled out in Bristol in January 2012.

The £36,000 vehicle, which is in action seven days a week, is fitted with a camera and aims to catch drivers who park illegally outside the city's schools, hospitals and taxi ranks.

It also snaps people who park on bus stops and loading bays.

The penalty for illegal parking is £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days.