A MOTORIST today told of the "infuriating" car park attendant who booked her - 16 minutes before her pay and display ticket ran out.

Lesley Shorrock, 49, was returning from Christmas shopping when she caught the attendant putting a £10 fixed penalty notice on her Vauxhall Corsa.

It was 1.40pm and the £1.20 ticket displayed in her window on Blackburn's market top car park lasted until 1.56pm.

Lesley said she pleaded with the man to look at the ticket but she claimed he refused and continued to issue the fine.

Lesley, who lives on her own in Cherry Tree, said she was so frustrated as she remonstrated with the attendant that she burst into tears.

But the attendant completed the fine, leaving her with documentary proof of his mistake.

Blackburn with Darwen Council, which owns the car park, today apologised to Lesley following the incident and said her £10 fine was being rescinded.

Legion Security, the company which provides the attendants, has launched an investigation.

And the attendant, Peter Sumner, has since written a letter of apology to Lesley, which she received a week after the incident.

Lesley, who works for Boots the Chemist in Blackburn town centre, said: "I don't know why he wouldn't listen.

"I said, 'I am sorry but I haven't gone over my time'. I took the ticket off my windscreen and showed it to him. But he demanded the £10 fine on the spot and I refused.

"He just carried on filling in the ticket. I said, 'You are not listening,' and was ranting and raving so much I started crying.

"I was so upset. I have been driving for 25 years and have never had any ticket. He walked away and I got in my car.

"I was going to go to Asda but I was so upset I went home."

Having reflected on the incident, on Monday, December 15, Lesley's upset has been replaced by anger.

She said: "I have all the evidence. He picked on the wrong person. I don't want this to happen to someone else.

"He was totally heartless and infuriating - he wouldn't even look to see he was making a mistake.

"He sent me a letter of apology but why didn't he just listen when I was ranting and raving?

"He could have saved me all the distress he caused me and having to run down to town to sort it out."

Graham Burgess, executive director for regeneration and technical services for the council, said: "The incident has been reported to the parking attendant supervisor of Legion Security and he is carrying out an investigation.

"In the meantime, a member of staff spoke to Ms Shorrock after the incident when she delivered a letter of complaint to our office.

"We have replied to this letter apologising for any distress caused to her and informing her that the matter has been referred to the legal section, who deal with excess charge notices.

"The notice will be rescinded.

"We are still awaiting a reply from London-based Legion's supervisor but as soon as we have the results of his investigation we will write to Ms Shorrock again."