A physiotherapist who worked tirelessly on Covid wards has been left furious after being slapped with a parking penalty for a 43-second wait at his hospital.

Ali Durrant, a senior physiotherapist at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital had just finished a gruelling shift when his partner came to pick him up back in September.

She spotted him walking close to the Bob Champion research centre so briefly pulled over in Rosalind Franklin Road, a private road on the hospital campus, to allow him to jump in the car - a task that took all of 43 seconds.

But just days later, Mr Durrant received a penalty charge notice from National Parking Enforcement, ordering the couple pay £60 as the stop was considered to be parking.

Mr Durrant said: "All of us in the NHS are working harder and working longer at the moment so this just adds to the strain we are already under. The fact NHS workers are being targeted is just ludicrous.

"The signs down the road really aren't clear and even if you stop to read them that would probably count as parking to NPE."

The 28-year-old appealed against the charge, but the firm refused it, arguing that it had been "issued correctly", with the cost demand set to increase to £100 - but Mr Durrant has vowed to continue fighting it.

He added: "I am planning to take action as it feels like they are punishing NHS workers at a time when we are working incredibly hard. We are already under stress and this just adds to that."

A spokeswoman for NPE said: "The vehicle was stationary at a junction which has enormous signs stating that stopping is not permitted at any time. There are also double yellow lines for the entire length of this roadway.

"The gentleman appealed on behalf of his partner and clearly stated within the appeal that the vehicle did in fact stop to enable him to be picked up by the driver.

"There is also no loading or unloading permitted along this roadway at any time and therefore the appeal was declined."

Others snared

Mr Durrant is far from the only person to be penalised for perceived breaches of the regulations along this particular stretch of road.

Earlier this year, 46-year-old James Robinson stopped for just 16 seconds to allow his NHS worker partner to hop out of the car and received the same £60 charge.

One case that will give Mr Durrant hope is that of then 21-year-old Callum Stocker, who was given a penalty for stopping to allow pedestrians to use the street's zebra crossing.

The environmental sciences student advanced his appeal to the Independent Appeals service and saw the ticket torn up.

Another case, in January 2020, saw a motorist ordered to pay £100 after stopping on the road to have a sneezing fit.

The road was previously known as James Watson Road, but was last year renamed after the pioneering scientist Rosalind Franklin, who had a pivotal role in the discovery of DNA.