A WOMAN’S fight against a parking ticket gathered thousands of supporters online.

Heidi Weir, 31, of Vermeer Ride, Chelmsford, has been contesting a ticket given to her dad, Derek, 61, in a Havering Council car park at Queens Hospital, Romford.

Derek was visiting his wife, Natalie, also 61, who was having life-saving treatment.

Last month, Derek was fined for over-staying his ticket by nine minutes while he was in a meeting with nurses about his wife.

Despite contesting the ticket, the council wouldn’t overturn the decision.

That was until Heidi’s Facebook group went viral and gained more than 10,000 “likes” in just five days.

Derek and Heidi had been travelling from Chelmsford every day to visit Natalie, who is now in Broomfield Hospital but still a long way from a full recovery.

Heidi said the council changed its mind after her campaign went viral.

She said: “I just couldn’t have imagined it would go this crazy. Lots of people have been sharing similar stories.

“People from Scotland and Ireland have said how shocking it is that we have to pay down here when visiting a hospital.”

A Havering Council spokesperson said: “We have looked again at the appeal against this ticket. We are cancelling the ticket and refunding the money. We’re sorry for any distress”