A FATHER who parked illegally to take his child to an emergency doctor's appointment has described the decision to tow his car as "inhumane".
Mo Hussain's son Amaar, 4, has had chicken pox and woke up last Sunday morning with a stiff neck, a symptom of more serious conditions such as meningitis.
After driving to the drop-in at Edridge Road Community Health Centre, by Croydon Flyover, the 39-year-old parked on a yellow line "in a panic", and took his child inside.
They were there 25 minutes before a GP contacted a paediatrician at Croydon University Hospital who advised Mr Hussain to bring Amaar there immediately.
But when he went outside he discovered his car was about to be towed away by Croydon Council.
"I stopped in front of the truck and explained to the driver that I realised I had parked illegally but I needed the car to take my son to the hospital," said Mr Hussain.
"He looked like he felt sorry for me but said 'no' and explained that he was doing his job and taking my car.
"I showed him the doctor's letter and he told me I would have to pick the car up from the pound.
"I asked if I could pay for it on the spot, but he said it wasn't possible. I then asked if I could go with him to the pound and he said 'no' again because he wasn't insured to carry anyone.
"That was it. He went and left me standing in the road, holding my son in my arms."
Mr Hussain took a taxi back to his home in Woodmansterne Road, Coulsdon, to pick up the paperwork, and then to the pound in Factory Lane to pay £265 to have his car released, before driving to the hospital, where Amaar was thankfully given the all-clear.
"I'm not saying they shouldn't be clamping vehicles or towing them away," he said.
"But I spoke to him. My child was in my arms, he could see he was ill and he still decided to take the car.
"I'm disappointed and disillusioned. That's just inhumane. It's like money comes first over life."
A council spokesman said: "This was an unusual series of circumstances, and while we sympathise with the situation, the officers did follow the correct guidelines."
