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Kenneth Wharfe |
Di's guard fined for donating to charity
Sally Army shop to close because of
parking spy cam
THE former personal bodyguard of Princess Diana has branded
Camden’s parking policy “insensitive” after he
was slapped with a £50 fine while carrying out his father-in-law’s
dying wish at a charity shop in Chalk Farm.
Kenneth Wharfe, who was Princess Diana’s royal protection
officer between1987 and 1993, dropped off seven bags of expensive
shoes and clothes at the Salvation Army charity shop in Adelaide
Road, Chalk Farm.
His father-in-law had asked him to donate the clothes to the
shop days before he died. But Mr Wharfe, who wrote a memoir,
Diana: A Closely Guarded Secret, later discovered a nearby parking
camera had snapped his car with two wheels on the pavement.
He accepts he breached parking regulations but feels the council
should cancel the fine because of the circumstances. He is now
to challenge the fine in court after an appeal was rejected.
Mr Wharfe said: “I was only in there for 30 seconds. There
has to be flexibility in life. I’m not being Mr Angry here.
I just think people will stop going to charity shops.”
The shop is now due to close because of a drop in trade caused
by parking fines. Major Jim Williams, who runs the shop, said:
“Community life is being brought to a standstill. That
camera took pictures of me while unloading disabled people outside
our centre. There is no scope for common sense.
“Nobody can get in to drop goods off. It absolutely affects
business because people won’t take the risk. The shop is
losing money and we have decided to close.”
A letter from Camden’s penalty charge notice processing
team said: “Footway parking is a problem that inhibits
the movement of pedestrians, wheelchair users, people with prams
and children, older people and the partially sighted. Unlike
road surfaces, the footway is not designed to bear the weight
of vehicles.” |
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