IT had been the perfect break to celebrate their wedding anniversary.

But memories of those relaxing seven days were marred when Johnny and Jacky Roche arrived back at their Eastleigh home to find they had been victims of "jobsworth" traffic wardens.

The parking permit on Jacky's distinctive purple coloured Rover 100, with a pink interior, had slid off the windscreen after the adhesive suction had given up on the holder.

But Jacky, aged 55, whose car had been parked opposite her Market Street home, said: "The permit and holder fell into the passenger side footwell.

"It had landed face up and was quite clearly visible. A ticket was put on the windscreen on the Wednesday we were away.

"Then to add insult to injury another ticket was put there on the following day. It really is out order and a real jobsworth thing to do. The traffic wardens are overzealous."

Jacky has taken a photograph of the permit lying in the footwell which shows that it was clearly visible.

A neighbour had pointed out to the warden that the permit had fallen into the footwell but Jacky said: "Apparently the warden just shrugged his shoulders and walked off in the direction of the Swan Centre."

She said: "We went to Market Harborough to celebrate our third wedding anniversary and had a lovely seven stress free days. This was all ruined when I found out that I had got two parking tickets.

"The wardens must have realised that the distinctive small purple car had been parked in the same location without moving for seven days.

"Surely they could have checked on the council database that a permit had been actually issued for the vehicle."

Jacky is faced with having to cough up a total of £140 but she has lodged an appeal with the council.

A council spokesman said: "The council can confirm that two penalty charge notices were issued by separate members of the parking services team.

"A check of all the windows and seats was carried out but the permit was not visible. The council has now received an appeal from Mrs Roche and this is being considered."

It is the second timewithin a few weeks that Eastleigh Council has been embroiled in a row over parking. Last week the Daily Echo revealed that a Chandler's Ford resident was having to pay the price for living in the wrong part of his street.

David Keyworth was given a penalty ticket for parking two wheels of his car on the verge outside his home in Bodycoats Road.

A council ban on parking on verges only applied to his particular section of the road. If he had driven a few hundred yards down the road he could have parked on the vergewithout fear of getting a ticket. He's also appealing against the penalty.