Driver escapes £130 parking fine because he needed to use the toilet

A motorist issued with a £130 fine after parking on a pavement to go and use a shop’s loo has had his ticket cancelled, after an adjudicator ruled his case constituted an “emergency”.

Michael Nyman, from Hindhead, Surrey, was stuck in heavy traffic on Park Road in London last November, when he found himself needing to answer the call of nature. A lack of proper parking places prompted Mr Nyman to pull up on a pavement opposite a florist, in order to use its facilities.

• How to appeal a parking ticket

Transport for London (TfL) subsequently issued Mr Nyman with a £130 fine for being “parked with one or more wheels on or over a footpath” and, while Mr Nyman, who is 85, contacted TfL to plead his case, the organisation stood firm.

Last week, however, an official adjudicator cancelled Mr Nyman’s ticket, ruling that needing to go to the loo can constitute an emergency, particularly for older drivers. The adjudicator found Mr Nyman could have been involved in an accident “if he had not stopped to relieve himself”.

Mr Nyman said: “There have to be rules governing the way we drive and I understand that people can’t just start pulling in wherever they like. However, some common sense has to be applied when the laws of nature come face-to-face with the laws of traffic.”

Is needing to answer the call of nature reason enough for parking illegally? Let us know your thoughts in the comments...