BLOOD donors have become the latest victims of the town's get-tough parking policy.

Father-of-seven Paul Hallen was one of a number of people attending a donor session at the Walker Memorial Hall at Ridgeway Gate in Bolton town centre, who received £30 parking tickets.

Furious motorist Mr Hallen has been donating blood for more than 18 years and regularly gives blood twice a year.

"I started giving blood after my wife gave birth to twins and lost seven pints of blood during the delivery," he said.

When the blood donor sessions moved from the old Bolton Royal Infirmary site to the Walker Memorial Hall, Mr Hallen says he was told to put his appointment letter in the windscreen and he would not have to pay the charges on the adjoining car park, run by Apcoa for the council.

But at one session he was about to give blood when someone came into the hall to warn people that a parking attendant was giving out tickets.

Several people rushed out to find they had been fined.

The car park was nearly empty and Mr Hallen, of Turnberry, Knutshaw Bridge, accused the council of "penny-pinching bureaucracy".

"It seems perverse to have to pay to help other people," said Mr Hallen, who has paid the fine, but has written to local MPs and Bolton Council.

Sue Purdie, of Beaumont Chase, also fell foul of the traffic wardens while giving blood at the hall at another session.

She had paid for one hour's parking while she gave blood, but a woman fainting delayed staff removing the needle from her arm by 10 minutes and she returned to her car to find a £30 parking ticket.

Even after getting a letter from the National Blood Service confirming her reasons for going over the parking time limit, Bolton Council initially refused to waive the fine.

She said: "It is ridiculous. I'll not be going there again to give blood. I will go somewhere else instead."

Ian Taylor, Bolton's head of parking services, said he sympathised with blood donating motorists but the car park beside the Walker Memorial Hall has never been free.

"We can't offer free parking in the area as it is a prime car park for shoppers," he said.

He added that the National Blood Service had previously written to donors warning of this, although arrangements have been made for the service's own vehicles to park on double yellow lines.

And Sue Purdie's fine has now been cancelled because her delay was caused by a medical emergency.

Mr Taylor added that the hall was chosen as a blood donor centre for people who might not have cars and would find it easy to get there by public transport.

He suggested those who want to travel by car should arrange to donate blood elsewhere where parking is easier.