Parking ticket left on hearse cancelled after U-turn by DfI

A PARKING ticket left on a hearse with an empty coffin inside has been cancelled after a U-turn by the Department for Infrastructure (DfI).

Last Monday, the Tyrone Herald reported that Omagh undertaker, Brian Donnelly, had received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) when his vehicle was parked in a hour-zone close to Sacred Heart Church on George’s Street.

The fine was branded as “incredibly insensitive” by Mr Donnelly.

But, following the publication of the story, the DfI emailed the undertaker to inform him that the PCN had been cancelled as a “gesture of goodwill”.

However, the department indicated that if the vehicle was left in the same restricted zone longer than allowed, a similar notice would be left.

DfI also insisted that the enforcement officer who issued the notice tried to contact the owner of the hearse.

Mr Donnelly said that he was “very pleased” that the notice had been cancelled, but added the notice should never have been issued in the first place.

He told the Tyrone Herald, “I am glad the notice has been cancelled and I will be refunded the money I have already paid. It proves that a hearse with a coffin inside parked outside an undertakers should not be given a ticket in these circumstances.

“I have always accepted I was parked for too long but I still do not accept that any officer came to find me before the ticket was issued. The hearse was parked in front of the shop and I was inside.”

The cancellation of the parking ticket came after a number of newspapers carried the story, which was first reported last week on the WeAreTyrone website and the Tyrone Herald.

Mr Donnelly said he believed that, without this publicity, the ticket would have never been cancelled.

The undertaker added, “I believe the only reason that the notice was cancelled is due to the press coverage that the incident has received.”