Wednesday 26 March 2014<br />
Pictured: The Oliver 80 Vitrage Tractor Robert Rees owns at his farm in Pembrokeshire, west Wales.<br />
Re: A farmer has given a whole new meaning to the term “Chelsea tractor” after being slapped with a fine for illegally parking his trusty agricultural workhorse on London’s iconic Abbey Road – while he was 260 miles away in Fishguard.<br />
Robert Rees saw the funny side when he received a first fine for apparently driving his 70-year-old lime green Oliver 80 tractor down a bus lane in London in February.<br />
The 63-year-old stifled a chortle as he conjured up mental images of his mud-strewn vintage vehicle revving round the UK capital’s streets. He went on to write back to the London borough which sent out the initial fine, assuming it too would appreciate the mirth beneath the mix-up.<br />
His amusement turned to concern last week when a second letter, from a different London borough, carried a £110 fine for apparently parking illegally on the road made famous by the celebrated Beatles album cover.<br />
Now he fears he has fallen victim to registration cloning, a growing problem in London where the congestion charge and sky- high parking fees have combined to make matters worse.