A DRIVER’S parking fine was waived by Watford Borough Council bosses as a gesture of "goodwill" after he contested it.

Mark Bailey, 45, was fined £35 for leaving his visitor’s resident permit voucher on the passenger seat of his green Peugeot 206 while visiting his aunt in Watford Field Road.

Mr Bailey said he put the two vouchers on the seat because he was worried they would slip from the dashboard because he was parked on a speed hump.

The council argued the car seat was not "conspicuous" enough but later revoked the fine.

In a letter to Mr Bailey the council also said the warden who issued the fine no longer worked for contractor, Vinci, because of "performance concerns".

Council press officer Mark Jeffery said: "We revoked the fine as a gesture of goodwill. "However, the revoking of the fine and the traffic warden being suspended are two separate issues.

"Council officers were concerned during the traffic warden’s three month probation period he had not been doing his job effectively.

"Therefore council officers got in contact with Vinci and made the decision to terminate his contract.

"We still stand by our reasons for issuing Mr Bailey with a ticket, because it clearly states on the voucher that the ticket should have been placed on the dashboard.

"Mr Bailey had put his vouchers on his seat which is not a conspicuous enough place."

After receiving the fine, Mr Bailey refused to pay the fine and complained to the council.

In response, a letter sent to Mr Bailey from Ana Fonterit, Watford Council Parking Service representative, said: "The contemporaneous notes made by the issuing officer confirm that, after checking all the windows, no permit, voucher or ticket was seen on display."

After receiving this letter from the council, Mr Bailey said he was unhappy as he had paid for and displayed a ticket.

He said: "As soon as the council sent me a response explaining the traffic warden had checked the car and all the windows over, I became very angry.

"I just couldn’t understand how he had not seen the vouchers on my seat.

"I was prepared to go to court over this and there was no way for hell or fire that I was going to pay this fine."

Following an investigation, Mr Bailey then received the letter from the council explaining he would no longer have to pay for the fine.

The letter said: "The council has some performance concerns in relation to the traffic warden in question and, on that basis I have decided to cancel this notice on a benefit of doubt basis." Mr Bailey, who used to work for

Envivo in Watford High Street, added: "I am relieved and very happy but I had to put up a fight.

"How many other people have received a fine from this particular traffic warden, who clearly isn’t doing his job properly, and paid it without putting up a fight?"