A driver is refusing to pay a parking ticket which was issued while she was desperately helping road crash victims in Edgware.

Melanie Soloman, 33, was the first person on the scene when a pensioner lost control of his Vauxhall Astra and hit two cars before smashing into the glass front of Verdant Solicitors, in Hale Lane, on Tuesday, March 6.

Mrs Soloman, a part-time teacher from Edgware, immediately came to the rescue, and began attending to the man in his 80s along with his wife, and another woman.

She said: “I stopped the car and put on my hazard lights and ran over. I spent about 15 minutes assisting, giving basic first aid and risk assessment until the ambulance arrived.

“While I was talking to one of the paramedics I noticed a traffic warden had given me a ticket.

“I went over and he started questioning if I was a nurse and if I was qualified to be helping – I got quite upset."

Regardless of Mrs Soloman's stationary car, traffic was at a standstill as police closed the road between the junction with Edgwarebury Lane and Broadfields Avenue while the accident was cleared.

Mrs Soloman added: “It seems an opportunistic moment to give someone a ticket as opposed to being a member of society and offering to help or just staying out of the way. When there’s ambulance and police around I think it’s an inappropriate place for a traffic warden to start hunting.”

Mrs Soloman wrote to Barnet Council to appeal against the ticket, but was astounded when she received a letter rejecting her claim.

A representative for the council said she had not provided enough evidence that she was involved in the incident.

Mrs Soloman said: “I find it quite staggering. I don’t really know what they would have recommended me to do. Should I have been driving around trying to find a parking space?

“If the situation was to happen again I would do exactly the same thing and help as needed.”

Mrs Soloman is refusing to pay the fine and will appeal to the council again.

A council spokeswoman said: "The last thing this council wants to do is stop people coming to anyone's aid if they were in an accident. If the woman would like to get back in touch with the parking team we will review her ticket."