CHIEF Constable Kier Pritchard found no one is above the law – or the parking rules, at least.

The police chief’s swanky black BMW 4x4 was slapped with a parking ticket by an enterprising council traffic warden as he visited Swindon town centre on Wednesday.

Mr Pritchard said the £70 fine would be paid by the officer who parked the chauffeured car – and not the taxpayer.

He said: "Although I was on police business, working in an official capacity, I was not attending an emergency and therefore we should have taken the time to find a more suitable place to park.”

Following the parking blunder, police and crime commissioner Angus Macpherson said: “Regardless of rank, police officers are not above the law.

“I have spoken to the chief constable about this and he himself has recognised that police officers must always set a good example, which unfortunately was not the case on this occasion.

“I can guarantee that the public purse will not be picking up the cost of this parking ticket.”