A parking warden was spotted leaving their car in a disabled bay before going off to hand out tickets to motorists.
At least one of the people they handed out tickets to was also parked in a disabled bay without a blue badge, according to a witness.
The Swansea Council-employed warden was spotted leaving their vehicle in Kings Road in Swansea, outside South Quay apartments in SA1.
A witness claimed the warden left the car, which they alleged did not have any blue badge visible, then headed up Kings Road.
Swansea Council said there were occasions when wardens were permitted to leave their vehicles in restricted areas while carrying out their job.
But it left a bitter taste with some.
Swansea resident Chris Grace said: “I was disgusted at the double standards. How can this even be legal?
“Can the council issue tickets for a parking offence whilst committing the same offence?”
Mr Grace said he had contacted Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart to complain about the issue.
Councillor Stewart responded via social media by saying ‘the rules apply equally to everyone’, and promised to investigate further.
But a spokesman for Swansea Council said: “We would expect council officers to observe parking regulations when they are doing their job.
“However, there are occasions when they may park in restricted areas such as disabled bays when they are carrying out their statutory role”.
He said normally the officers were on foot patrolling specific routes and hot spots, but the council also operated a service where it responded to complaints, and in that case the officers might have to use a car to travel to a destination. In these circumstances they were allowed to use restricted areas if there was no alternative and in emergencies.
