A SECURITY van delivering cash to a bank was given a parking ticket.

The fine was handed out while the vehicle was parked in Fleming Square, Blackburn, yesterday, as a security guard delivered cash to Barclays Bank, Church Street, directly next to the van.

Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council came under attack from a parking campaigner which who branded the fine "outrageous".

But Coun Alan Cottam, executive member for regeneration, said the security van was parked on double yellow lines in Fleming Square, and a parking attendant felt that it was causing an obstruction to other road users.

He said: "The attendant approached the van and asked them to move. This was felt to be a reasonable request, and there was a space in the loading bay a short distance away.

"The driver refused, and after 16 minutes the attendant gave him a ticket. The van was actually parked for 40 minutes and the attendant felt that it was far longer than the security guard needed to carry out this duty.This case is outside our tolerance level so we took necessary action."

But the Group 4 Securicor worker, who operates out of the company's Manchester base, claimed he regularly encountered problems with traffic wardens in Blackburn.

He said: "We are doing a service for the bank and for the public and yet the wardens are giving us grief.

"We need to park near to the bank so we get the money in safely."

Parking campaigner Neil Herron, the man behind the website www.parkingappeals.co.uk, said: "This is outrageous behaviour by a local authority.

"This is what happens when the fines system is revenue dependent. There are many flaws in Black-burn with Darwen's regime."

No-one from Securicor was available for comment.