A PARKING ticket was slapped on a police van in Burnley.

It is believed an officer was attending a case at the town’s crown court at the time.

An eagle-eyed traffic warden spotted the ‘09’ plate Ford van parked on the Whittam Street car park at around 11am yesterday.

Police said the patrol van’s driver would now be forced to pay the £50 fine, unless he can prove there had been an oversight.

The car park is well used by barristers, solicitors, jurors, witnesses, defendants, and police attending the nearby courthouse.

But the site, off Queen’s Lancashire Way, is frequently packed out, with vehicles parking on spare land in Charles Street.

A Lancashire Police spokesman said: “We have identified the officer and he has been spoken to.

"He will be paying the fine. Of note is the fact that another police car was parked there and that officer had bought a ticket.”

The officer involved is thought to be from Pendle Division and attending a court case.

A Burnley Council spokesman said: “If the police were parked on the car park attending an incident, then there wouldn’t be an issue with them not displaying a pay-and-display ticket.

“However, if it is just parked there for convenience’s sake, then the police vehicle is treated the same as any other vehicle.

"At the time the parking ticket was issued to this vehicle there was another police vehicle on the car park displaying a valid pay-and-display ticket.”

The fine for using a pay-and-display car park without a ticket is £50, but this drops to £25 if the penalty is paid within 14 days.

District councils, such as Burnley, became responsible for off-street parking at the start of this month and the contract is currently held by Legion.