A COUNCIL parking attendant issued a 77-year-old motorist with a fine — just moments after the OAP went to collect a disc entitling him to stop for free.

The uniformed official pounced in Greenock’s Cathcart Street as senior citizen Donald Clark was inside the library on the same street asking for an obligatory cardboard clock.

Mr Clark told how he went inside at 11.20am and returned to his car just three minutes later to see the attendant tucking the £60 fine under one of his windscreen wipers.

The fuming pensioner — who ran a tool and plant hire business in Greenock for many years before retiring in 1999 — was stung on Monday, the first day of Inverclyde’s new parking regulations coming into force.

He told the Telegraph: “I saw the sign about the new rules and I was just trying to follow them.

“I find it difficult to describe this parking attendant without resorting to swearing.

“I explained to the rather officious person what the situation was but he just said, ‘It’s too late, it’s done. You’ll have to appeal’.

“I’m absolutely outraged at this.

“The library staff are witness to my intentions and can vouch for me.” The council has previously stated publicly that attendants will ‘issue penalty charge notices where appropriate’.

On-street parking in Greenock is allowed free for maximum durations of 30 minutes, one hour or two hours depending on location.

Mr Clark said: “I have since lodged a complaint with the council, and I’m glad to say that my call was taken by a very polite young lady, and I have also now written a letter of complaint.

“The attitude of the attendant was terrible. It was like, ‘You can’t touch me, I’m part of the union’.

“This obviously means that anyone who comes from outside of the town who is unfamiliar with the new parking regime is liable to have their vehicle pounced upon by an overly zealous attendant within moments of parking up.

“Why can’t the council just have a normal scheme where people put money into a meter?” Mr Clark, who lives in Langbank but has retained his membership of Greenock Library, also hit out at the council’s policy not to administer the fixed penalty process itself.

He said: “I can hardly believe that fines issued in Inverclyde must be paid to a PO Box in Northampton.” A council spokesman said: “There is an appeals process built in to the new parking scheme. Any driver who feels they have been unfairly issued with a penalty charge notice can appeal.” Details of the appeals process can be found by logging on to www.inverclyde.gov.uk/parking