AN indignant motorist refused to pay an “impossible” parking fine because she could not be in two places at once.

Julia Jefferson, 63, received two fines just one minute apart accusing her of parking in two different places in Altrincham town centre on the same day.

“Unless I can teleport myself and defy the laws of physics it is impossible,” said Mrs Jefferson.

She fully accepted the first ticket but refused to pay the second.

The first ticket was issued at 12.10pm on February 13 when she parked on yellow lines in Cross Street, Altrincham.

“I was only there for one-and-a-half minutes. I’d phoned the vacuum shop in advance and written a note about what the problem was with the vacuum cleaner. I literally dashed into the shop, gave it them and dashed out again to find I’d got a parking ticket timed at 12.10pm."

Mrs Jefferson said she fully accepted her guilt and responsibility and paid the £35 parking fine that very day.

However, a week later she received a second fine in the post accusing her of parking in a no-parking zone in Stamford New Road at 12.09pm on the same day.

“I couldn’t be in two places at once,” she said. “What’s worse is that it was the same traffic warden who gave me the tickets. Surely he should have realised how impossible it was.

“I did not park in Stamford New Road and I will not be paying the £70 fine,” said Mrs Jefferson, who lives in Timperley.

After being contacted by The Messenger, Trafford Council admitted there had been a mistake and agreed to refund Mrs Jefferson. 

A spokesman for Trafford Council said: “We can confirm that we issued the second ticket due to an administration error. Our records show that Mrs Jefferson has appealed and also paid the correctly issued ticket.”

“The ticket has now been cancelled and a written response will be sent to Mrs Jefferson confirming this and apologising for the error.”