UFO's fault - excuse given for fine

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Drivers wanting to avoid paying parking fines issued by Southwark Council in south London have come up with a variety of weird and wonderful excuses.

One man said he was so shocked at spotting a UFO that he drove into a bus lane - although if he had crashed, his car insurance firm may have needed a different explanation.

Another used colour-blindness as an excuse - "I thought the yellow line was green", they complained.

The following reasons were also used to explain why the fine shouldn't be paid: "It was raining - I thought I could park anywhere if the weather was bad"; "I don't know what the yellow lines mean"; "I had to pick up and take an injured dog to the vet and did not want the animal to endure any unnecessary extra pain by limping further to the car"; "I was only sleeping in the back of the car".

Southwark Council spokesman Gill Davies said: "The imagination of some of these drivers is quite impressive but UFOs and colour blindness unfortunately do not count as legitimate reasons to overturn a ticket."

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