Parking wardens targeted one of Dundee’s biggest remembrance Sunday services, issuing dozens of penalty charge notices.
It is thought as many as 30 cars were ticketed as their owners attended an event commemorating those who served with the Royal Naval Reserve.
The service took place on board the Unicorn and was attended by a large number of veterans, service personnel, cadets and dignitaries, including Lord Provost Bob Duncan.
In heavy rain and faced with a shortage of parking spaces, many of those who attended parked on yellow lines and in spaces set aside for permit holders or within “private car parks” at City Quay.
Nonetheless, there was dismay as they left the service to find parking charges waiting.
They had been issued by the private parking firm Vehicle Control Services Ltd, which manages much of the parking around City Quay.
Among those at the service were husband and wife Meg and Ron Woomble from Carnoustie who plan to write to the firm to ask them to think again.
“We were among the many people who attended the Remembrance service at the Unicorn,” Mrs Woomble said.“The service lasted for around an hour and when we came out we noticed that we had a parking notice. I think upwards of 30 cars had been ticketed.
“Everyone was there for the service and many of whose who attended were shocked and upset by what had happened.”
She added: “Last year the operators gave the Unicorn permission to use their spaces and so we had assumed it would be OK this time. We should have checked, but there was no one to ask and sadly this happened.”
Mrs Woomble said she and her husband would be writing to VCS in the hope that it will have a change of heart.
The Unicorn service has been held regularly since just after the First World War and has had a growing attendance in recent years. Though it has a strong naval flavour, representatives of all the armed forces take part.
Vehicle Control Servicesdidnot respond to Courier requests for comment.