Another understanding traffic warden

A traffic warden pounced on mum Nicky Clegg’s car — minutes after she was almost killed by a tree crashing on to it.

Police dragged the wreck to the side of the road after Nicky, 42, her son Sam, 11, and her elderly mum cheated death in last week’s storms. The crushed S-reg Fiesta was left on a double yellow line as the tearful family were taken home suffering from shock.

The police told shaken Nicky not to worry about leaving it there.But when she went back the next day she was stunned to find a ticket slapped on it. The time on the £60 penalty showed it was issued only 17 MINUTES after she was forced to abandon the car with a crushed bonnet and smashed windscreen.

Furious Nicky — who also discovered thieves had nicked her £100 car stereo — said yesterday: “It’s unbelievable. We managed to escape death but we couldn’t escape the yellow peril.”

Nicky, whose airbag went off in the accident, added: “Don’t these people use common sense? The car was obviously too damaged to drive. The road was still like a bomb site with fallen branches everywhere. The warden must have been a jobsworth. People in nearby houses heard the crash and could not believe we had all survived. The police and an ambulance were called — but we were all just in shock. We knew we were lucky to be alive. I told the police I would organise a mechanic to come and move the car the following day. The officers said that was fine.”

Nicky, a mature student, is appealing against the fine in her home city of Worcester.

A city council spokesman said: “It’s not unusual for damaged cars to be ticketed. But we urge our attendants to take a common sense approach and I am sure we can sort this out amicably.”