John Hare collapsed and died at his warden-controlled home

The mourners were attending the funeral of John Hare, an 80-year-old man who collapsed and died after trouble with youths near his home.

The car was parked on double-yellow lines outside the undertakers' office in Ramsbottom, Greater Manchester.

Bury Council has now cancelled the ticket and said the attendant tried to find out whether it was a funeral car.

'Usually exempt'

The �60 ticket was issued as family members waited inside Booth and Wolstenholme on Crow Lane.

A funeral director removed it from the windscreen before it was seen by mourners.

A spokeswoman for Booth and Wolstenholme told the BBC News website that the family were upset when they found out about the fine.

He said: "In 15 years of us being here, nothing like this has ever happened before.

"Funeral cars are usually exempt for parking restrictions to allow people to drop people off and pick them up."

Natural causes

The firm claims that a hearse was parked in the office car park, close to the limousine, when the ticket was issued.

A spokesman for Bury Council said the parking attendant tried to find out whether the car was involved in a funeral and even took pictures of it.

He added that the ticket was cancelled after it was contacted by Mr Hare's family.

The pensioner, a grandfather of eight, died as he called for help from his warden-controlled home in Ramsbottom.