FUNDRAISERS have accused a council’s parking wardens of targeting a charity event after motorists were slapped with fines.

About 1,700 women completed the Pretty Muddy 5k obstacle course in South Park on Saturday, raising more than £120,000 for Cancer Research.

But exhausted athletes were further drained to find they had been given parking tickets by Oxfordshire County Council throughout the day after they parked on grass verges.

Patricia Holmes, 64, attended the event in memory of her twin brother, Doug Devlin, with two nieces and her son’s partner. Mr Devlin died two months ago.

Mrs Holmes said: “I think it is absolutely disgusting. The cars weren’t obstructing anyone. We didn’t park on any yellow lines. I live in Bicester and lots of people park on the grass verges where I live and it’s annoying but you get on with it.

“They must have known we were doing it for Cancer Research and for specific people in our lives. I am not just fighting for myself – the council must have made thousands of pounds there. Every single car had a parking ticket.

“They could have put a gentle notice, a ‘don’t do it again’.”

But now her nieces, Lauren Devlin, who travelled from Walsall in the West Midlands, and Kathleen Devlin, who lives in Surrey, will need to pay a fine which could top £70.

It will be reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days.

The council said it had issued 16 parking tickets to vehicles parked in Morrell Avenue on Saturday.

Chloe James, from Kidlington, took to Facebook to express her anger as she passed the cars.

She said: “I would understand if the cars were parked on the double yellows but they are all on the grass verges. Could you not just be slightly more lenient for just a couple of hours for one day?”

Jenny Makin, Cancer Research’s senior regional media relations officer for South Central England, said: “We encouraged participants to consider their travel arrangements and supplied information on our website about where to locate the nearest car parks as well as the city’s park and ride facilities.”

A council spokesman Owen Morton said: “Councils are often criticised for failing to enforce parking restrictions, and at other times they are criticised for enforcing them. Clearly the safest way for motorists to avoid a fine is to park legally.”