Funeral is ticketed

A grieving family today branded a traffic warden "disgusting" after he ticketed their relative's funeral procession.

Jeannette Smyth told of her horror after she discovered the Westminster parking attendant had put fines on the cortege cars while mourners paid respects to her aunt, Marie Fourlla.

Officials at funeral director Leverton and Sons, who in 1997 conducted Princess Diana's funeral, vainly remonstrated with warden WS 5034 as he issued the two ?100 fines.

The limousines were sitting on a single yellow line outside the St Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Ogle Street, Fitzrovia. The hearse itself was spared a fine as more than 40 mourners attended the funeral of Mrs Fourlla, 90, from Hampstead.

Mrs Smyth, 66, from Tunbridge Wells, said she was still in shock. "It's disgusting - how can they do this? I was outraged when I heard what the traffic warden had done." She found out about the tickets as the mourners drove from the service to Kensal Green cemetery. "I couldn't believe it," she said. "Who does the council think it is to do this?" Leverton's funeral director, Allan Clinton, 47, said: "It has happened at least six times this year. About 60 per cent of the time the authorities cancel the tickets but it's completely unnecessary and unsympathetic."

He added: "I saw the warden start to ticket the cars and went over to tell him we would only be another 20 minutes, but all he said was, 'I'm just doing my job. If I walk away I'll be in trouble.' He could have used a little discretion."

NCP, whose services are contracted by Westminster council, blamed the funeral directors. " The drivers could have got in the cars and parked somewhere legally," spokesman Tim Cowen said. Leverton has appealed against the fines.

A Westminster spokesman said: "Ticketing a funeral procession is obviously not ideal. We will look at the appeal and see what we can do. But the warden has enforced the law."

The council was considering changing parking regulations outside churches for funeral vehicles.