Council Transport Boss Gary Hopkins Caught Parking On Double-Yellows In Bedminster

This is Bristol's transport supremo Gary Hopkins caught red-handed parked on double-yellow lines.

The Liberal Democrat cabinet councillor, who is in charge of the city council's transport department, was spotted in Cannon Street, Bedminster, by aircraft fitter Julian Richards and his son, Mark.

They were having a lunchtime pint in the Robert Fitzharding pub when they saw Mr Hopkins get out of his silver A-Class Mercedes car, which was parked on double-yellow lines next to a No Waiting sign.

He was also parked in a bus stop bay, which was marked out by a dotted yellow line – but there is no bus stop sign on nearby posts.

Traders nearby said the bay is only used by school buses. Mr Richards, 59, who lives in Headley Park, said: "We saw him cross the road but we didn't know where he had gone.

"After about ten minutes, I thought, 'He's pushing the boundaries, parked on a bus stop and double yellows for all this time'."

Mark, 28, an insurance accounts manager who lives in Bedminster, took photos of the parked car while Mr Richards checked to see if Mr Hopkins had gone into the post office next to the pub.

Mr Richards said he was the next in the queue so went back to the car where they waited for him to turn up.

"When he came across the road, I said: 'Mr Hopkins?'

"He said hello and I said, 'As you are the transport supremo for Bristol, why are you parked on a bus stop, on double-yellow lines and next to a No Waiting sign?'

"He said flippantly, 'I'm not doing any harm'."

The two men watched as Mr Hopkins got into his car and drove off.

Mr Richards said the photos were taken during a period of 20-25 minutes on Saturday, May 29.

Mr Richards, whose father was a verger at St Mary Redcliffe Church, said: "I was quite incensed because he's always in the paper saying we should be doing this or we should be doing that."

Mr Richards went to try to find a parking warden while the car was parked but said it was "sod's law" because he couldn't find one.

He said he decided to send the photos to the Evening Post because it appeared as though there was one rule for Mr Hopkins and another rule for everyone else.

Just a few days before the incident Mr Hopkins had launched a broadside against Noel Edmonds after learning that the Bitton-based TV presenter was using a his own black cab to drive on bus lanes during his daily commute to the Brislington studios where he films Deal Or No Deal.

Speaking in his official capacity, Mr Hopkins asked whether Mr Edmonds thought he was "above the ordinary Bristolian as well as the law" and said: "Nobody... has the right to special treatment."

Yesterday Mr Hopkins, 57, a councillor for Knowle ward where he lives, admitted he should not have parked on the double-yellow lines.

He said: "We all make mistakes and that was a mistake. I was partially parked on the double-yellow lines and I shouldn't have done it."

Mr Hopkins, who has been in charge of transport for just three weeks, said: "If I had been given a ticket, I would have paid it the same as anyone else."

He denied that he said 'I'm not doing any harm', and explained: "What I said was, 'I'm not causing an obstruction'."

He promised: "In the circumstances, I think it would be appropriate for me make a donation of £35 to an environmental charity."

If he had been caught and given a ticket, he would have been liable to pay £70 but this is reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days.