WHEN David Boazman's pub flooded twice in two months, he didn't think things could get much worse.
But now he feels traffic wardens have rubbed salt into the wound by giving him three parking tickets.
It comes after he parked his Ford Escort van away from his White Bear pub in Bredon Road, Tewkesbury.
After the flooding of November and Christmas time, he had left his van on a dry paved area in Twixtbears – just 20 yards from the pub.
He realised it was not strictly allowed, but believed the van was not blocking the area and he hoped traffic wardens would allow him some flexibility.
He even put a large sign in the van's window, explaining he was a flood victim from the White Bear.
The sign read: "White Bear pub. Van is on SORN & has been moved due to flooding (again). Flood casualty. I'm normally in White Bear carpark."
But then he found three £70 fines had been attached to his vehicle.
He said: "It's disgusting. I've been through so much.
"This doesn't show any common sense or humanity. They couldn't even knock on my door and tell me I had to move my van."
The 35-year-old, whose pub still has water in its garden, said he had enough on his plate without the tickets worry.
He and his wife, Claire, have a seven-month-old son, Zachary and Claire is expecting another baby.
David is struggling to move freely at the moment, having had a serious back operation last year.
He said: "The worst thing of all was missing Christmas due to the pub flooding. Children's toys and other presents got ruined in the water."
David's complaint follows a similar one from a town businessman in November. He had his car ticketed after leaving it on a paved area because floodwater had reduced car parking space in Tewkesbury.
The council's director of development, Mella McMahon, said: "We have sympathy for all our residents and businesses affected by flooding, and this is highlighted by the fact we have not issued any parking tickets to cars abandoned as a result of the floods.
"In this instance, the van had a Statutory Off Road Notice, which meant it was a criminal offence for it to be on a public highway. While we gave leniency due to the flood reference on the note inside the van, we had to take action after three days.
"We haven't yet been contacted by the owner of the vehicle but now we have his details, our parking manager will get in touch to discuss the issue and give him the opportunity to advise us of any mitigating circumstances."
OPINION, P8
