BUYING a parking ticket was understandably not foremost in Richard Gaunt's mind when he rushed his pain-wracked wife into Airedale Hospital.

And whilst an unknowing car park attendant was quite right to issue an initial fine, it should have been scrapped the moment the circumstances were made clear.

Instead it took intervention from Airedale NHS Foundation Trust before the penalty was quashed.

The fact trust bosses are now to review the appeals process will hopefully mean that other people, who by the nature of them visiting hospital are often already suffering a degree of anxiety, won't have to go through any additional and unnecessary stress.

There are of course many who believe hospital parking should be free – it formed part of Labour's pledges at the last General Election – but that is for another day.

What this latest, sorry episode does serve to highlight is the apparent intransigency of many car park operators.

Yes, where someone has flagrantly flouted the rules in a deliberate attempt to avoid paying they should be penalised. That is only right.

But common sense must also be retained and individual cases thoroughly weighed up when appeals are lodged.