KIND-hearted bank officials are to pay a parking fine for a Santa charity collector who got a ticket while paying in cash at their branch.

Blackburn Round Table member Andrew Bridge spent three days dressed as Father Christmas to raise £3,500 with his fellow Round Table members.

On Tuesday he took four huge bags of coins weighing 101kg to Barclays in Haslingden and parked outside because they were too heavy to carry from a public car park 200 yards away.

But he came out of the bank to discover that his silver Renault Scenic had been given a ticket for being parked on a single yellow line in Deardengate, which restricts waiting during daytime hours.

After hearing what had happened, Barclays Bank said they would cover the cost of the parking ticket.

The 33-year-old, of Balmoral Road, Accrington, said: "I am absolutely delighted that Barclays have offered to pay the fine.

"I had parked where I shouldn't, but I wasn't intending to stay for long.

"It was a bolt out of the blue when they said they would donate the money. It is a really charitable thing to do and I would like to thank them for it."

A spokesperson for Barclays Bank said: "Staff in the bank were aware that Mr Bridge had been approached by a traffic warden.

"As the Round Table had been collecting for such good causes we felt that we should make a donation to cover the cost of the fine."

The £3,500 collected by the organisation in Blackburn town centre is to be distributed to charities across East Lancashire.

Mr Bridge added: "The parking ticket had slightly taken the shine off our achievement of collecting so much money for these good causes, so it is great that this has happened.

"I plan to appeal against the fine as I think it was unfair. The money was very heavy and we had spent such time and effort raising it."

Rossendale Council has promised to review the ticket if Mr Bridge appeals.