Council staff have refused to rip up the ticket handed to a GP providing emergency psychiatric care in Wimbledon.

Dr Harvey Gordon was called to Haydon’s Road in Wimbledon on August 12 last year along with police and ambulance crews, to assess a man with serious mental health problems who, for his own safety, was being taken into care against his will.

The Surrey-based doctor parked in a residents space as no public parking was available, but left a note and British Medical Association badge on his windscreen.

When he found he had been ticketed by Merton Council, he appealed, but was told to pay up.

An independent adjudicator said although the ticket was not illegal there were “compelling reasons” to cancel it, but the authority ignored the recommendation – and a local government ombudsman said it not could not intervene because another watchdog had examined the case.

Dr Gordon has since paid a £100 fine.

He said the council told him he needed a Merton-specific licence to use residents’ bays in emergencies – but the doctor said as he is rarely called to the borough he did not know this and the ticket should be ripped up.

Merton Council was unable to comment when contacted by the Wimbledon Guardian.

TOMORROW ONLINE AND IN TODAY'S WIMBLEDON GUARDIAN: Husband fined but wife let off for SAME parking offence

What do you think? Leave a comment below, call 020 8722 6336 or email: cburnett@london.newsquest.co.uk.

Get all the latest Wimbledon Guardian news by:

Wimbledon Times: Facebook  Liking our Facebook page

Wimbledon Times: Twitter  Following us on Twitter

...or click here to receive a daily e-mail news bulletin.