AN NCP employee has been sacked and another has resigned following an investigation into how vital photographic evidence was doctored.

The inquiry was launched after Bury Council was accused of using "questionable photographic evidence" in a damning indictment delivered by a parking adjudicator.

And the boss of NCP has issued a written apology to Kevin McGuire whose appeal against a parking ticket in Bury uncovered the scam.

Last month the Bury Times revealed how parking adjudicator Sarah Breach had upheld Mr McGuire's appeal against the £60 fixed penalty notice slapped on his car in Bury's Market Place last August. He denied he had ignored a suspended parking bay sign -- and said he had 30 witnesses to support him.

In an astonishing verdict, Ms Breach concluded that two council-submitted appeal photographs, said to be taken on different days, were identical -- but that the date on one of them had been altered.

Bury Council and NCP, which is contracted by the local authority to enforce car parking, immediately launched a joint investigation in light of the adjudicator's scathing comments.

Now Mr Robert Macnaughton, NCP chief executive, has written to Mr McGuire informing him of the action taken.

He said: "Following the adjudicator's advice, we commenced an internal investigation to establish the facts and to find out whether evidence had been tampered with.

"As a result, one employee resigned during the process and another was dismissed for gross misconduct after attending a disciplinary hearing.

"We are deeply disappointed with the two employees involved in the incident. They were not under any pressure to meet a quota, nor was there any kind of financial incentive for them to attempt to get the penalty charge notice upheld."

Mr Macnaughton continued: "This incident has also enabled us to review our internal procedures for dealing with the administration of parking appeals. A number of recommendations have been made, including the proper segregation of duties and more robust IT security and these have already been implemented.

"NCP will not tolerate behaviour of this kind displayed in Bury. It goes against everything we stand for as an organisation."

The company has donated £250 "as a gesture of goodwill" to Heywood Air Training Corps, to which Mr McGuire is attached. He was accompanying the cadets on a trip to Blackpool last August when his car was ticketed. Mr Macnaughton concluded: "On behalf of NCP, please accept my apologies for this incident."

Mr McGuire said this week: "Although I welcome the action taken, what worries me is that from what NCP says, two staff were at fault.

"But I want to know what is going to happen to the council employee who didn't cancel my fixed penalty notice when there were 30 witnesses to back me up."

A spokesman for Bury Council said: "A scrutiny investigation into this matter began this week but I can confirm that NCP has taken its own action in dealing with a member of staff and that another member of their staff has resigned. It is important to note that while the service is the council's responsibility, it is run for us by NCP and personnel matters are an issue for NCP, not us."

"However, clearly we would have a view on any inappropriate behaviour and we welcome NCP's determination to act in this particular case."