Nurse therapist Susan Jane Stinson, aged 45, of Mill Lane, Romsey, was fined £300, ordered to pay compensation of £100 along with costs of £70 after pleading guilty to assaulting traffic warden, Suzan Phillips.

Mark Gammon, prosecuting, said aggrieved was employed as a parking attendant by Test Valley. On February 16 she went to Mill Lane with a male warden to cone off the area so that heavy vehicles could get to Romsey Abbey school, where building work was being carried out at half term.

Residents had been given prior notice that this was to be done. Defendant asked what was happening and was requested to move her parked car by 9am. The wardens then left the area and when they returned defendant's car was still there together with two other cars.

The wardens started to issue tickets when defendant approached and was shouting at them. She removed the ticket and went up to the aggrieved, grabbed hold of her, indicated she was not paying "and stuffed the ticket down her front with a certain amount of force." This caused bruising to the warden's breasts.

"Mrs Phillips put the ticket back onto the windscreen. Accused took it off and stuck it on another car," said Mr Gammon.

"A verbal confrontation followed between defendant and the parking attendants."

The offence occurred while the traffic warden was carrying out her duty. When interviewed by police the accused agreed she was angry and had assaulted Mrs Phillips.

Beryl Grey, defending, asked the magistrates to give her client full credit for an early guilty plea. "She offers here apologies to Mrs Phillips. She has been very worried and upset by this."

Miss Grey submitted letters from work colleagues saying the accused was good humoured and well behaved in her job and was a pleasure to work with.

Mill Lane has seen considerable problems over parking in the street in recent years. Defendant for some reason did not receive prior notice of the cones and had not seen notices stuck on lamp posts.

She told the male warden she was going to work at 9am and he said "well move it then". However when she came out at three minutes past nine and saw the ticket being put on she was upset. Clearly, said Miss Grey, a public servant doing a job properly should not be attacked in this way.