Clinton awarded £80 fine for failing to buy parking ticket

LONDON: Hillary Clinton received a parking ticket in London on Saturday, despite angry protests from her security detail.

According to Daily Mail, the Westminster City Council warden put an £80 penalty notice on the former US secretary of state's silver Mercedes vehicle in Central London while she was attending an event at Chatham House.

The row was caught on camera on Saturday by photographer Greg Brennan, who said five of her guards were waiting inside a Mercedes van next to her car at the time because it was raining.

She had earlier arrived in a motorcade of five cars with around 10 security agents, Mr Brennan told MailOnline. Her car was parked in a bay on St James's Square in Mayfair, which costs £3.30 per hour.

The warden then arrived and put a ticket on the car which had transported 65-year-old Clinton to the event, prompting her security detail to jump out of the van in protest, Mr Brennan said.

The photographer claimed he saw one of the agents angrily waving his arms and flashing his badge to the warden, who remained unflustered and continued to issue the ticket to Clinton's vehicle.

Cllr Daniel Astaire, Westminster City Council cabinet member for business, told MailOnline: 'Despite our traffic marshal being questioned by the secret service for just doing his job, he was in the right.

'The former US Secretary of State was parked for nearly 45 minutes without paying. I'm sure she will understand that we have to be fair to everyone, regardless of their status on the world stage.

'For future reference, Mrs Clinton can now also download a parking app for her iPhone which will tell her in real time where a parking space is in the City of Westminster.'

The parking ticket came with an £80 fine - but would only be £40 if paid within 14 days. The fine has not yet been paid - but an appeal could be launched at any date before October 25.

A spokesman for Mrs Clinton has not yet responded to a comment request, and nobody at the US Embassy press office could be reached when multiple attempts were made today.