Rotherham Mayor apologises over illegal parking gaffe

RED-faced Rotherham mayor Maggi Clark has apologised this week after her official car was photographed parked illegally outside a school.

The Advertiser understands the Mayor will also make a donation to road safety charity Brake after the official mayoral car, known as ET1 due to its distinctive number plate, was snapped by a passerby outside East Dene Primary School.

To add to the embarrassment, the black Audi was parked in front of a banner reading: “No parking, no waiting, no excuses”.

The photo — taken as the Mayor attended the school’s summer fair on Tuesday — attracted a wave of criticism after it was shared on a Facebook group and two Twitter accounts highlighting inconsiderate parking.

And Rotherham Borough Council hurriedly issued a statement on the mayor’s behalf, reading: “The Mayor sends her deepest apologies — an error of judgement that simply should not have happened and she is very sorry.”

The Mayor said: "“I’d like to send my apologies to the school and local residents.

“This situation should not have occurred and it was an error to park the Mayoral vehicle on zigzag lines even for this short period.

“I am making a donation to the road safety charity Brake as a gesture of goodwill and to support road safety campaigns, and I will ensure that this mistake is not repeated.”