A SINGER has spoken of his shock at getting a parking ticket for briefly parking his car to unload his equipment - as directed by a council marshal.

Martin Murphy was told he could leave his car in an area designated for buses at the back of Hot Rocks in Exeter Road, Bournemouth.

This was so he could haul the 50 kilograms of kit he needed for a charity function at Key West on the pier.

Mr Murphy said he parked the car as instructed but when he had finished unloading the equipment and went to move his vehicle to the BIC car park he discovered he had been ticketed.

The Southampton resident asked the traffic marshal, who was helping with directing vehicles during the air festival, what had happened.

Mr Murphy said marshal told the parking warden why the vehicle was there but he “completely ignored” him and put the ticket on the vehicle.

The musician appealed the fine, stating he would not have even considered parking in the bus area if he had not been directed by the marshal, who was wearing an air festival traffic hi-vis vest.

His impassioned plea to have the ticket scrapped fell on deaf ears. The council refused his appeal in a letter sent in late October and he will now have to pay the penalty charge notice.

“I have never known anything like it,” Mr Murphy said.

“I have seen some strange tickets in the past but nothing as bad as this when you are directed to do something by one council worker only for another one to then ticket the car.

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

Mr Murphy said he is unsure how the council expects Key West to be able to put on events if performers cannot park anywhere near the venue to drop off their kit.

The cancer charity event Mr Murphy went on to perform at raised more than £100,000.

In their response to his appeal, the council’s parking administration department said they did not consider that Mr Murphy had put forward a valid reason to cancel the penalty charge notice.

“It is the motorist's responsibility to make themselves aware of and adhere to the Highway Code, as well as any signs and lines that may be present at all time, prior to leaving their vehicle parked,” the response said.

A BCP Council spokesperson told the Daily Echo: “We are unable to discuss the details of individual penalty charge notices.

“When a driver makes a challenge to a PCN, we write to advise what options there are available. These include submitting formal representation and the opportunity to approach the traffic penalty tribunal to request an appeal.”