Brighton and Hove traffic wardens have sparked outrage after a hearse received a parking ticket while undertakers moved a body in the city.

Traffic wardens pounced minutes after the deceased was transferred from the vehicle to a nearby chapel of rest.

The black estate car was slapped with a ticket after being spotted on double yellow lines outside Bungard and Sons in Sackville Road, Hove - despite a sign in the window indicating it was on business.

Brighton and Hove City Council yesterday apologised for the incident, admitting it had ignored its own parking laws.

Under council legislation, funeral homes are exempt from parking restrictions and, unlike other businesses, do not even need to be issued with a waiver.

Eric de Chalon, funeral director at Bungard and Sons, said: "They've got such a cheek.

"The only way we can load or unload discreetly is to park by our garage.

"On Saturday morning we left our ambulance there five minutes while we unloaded the deceased.

"As usual there was a leaflet in our window saying 'funeral director on official business'.

"In any case, it should have been quite obvious what we were doing. We could hardly believe it when we saw the ticket.

"I think it's a disgrace. Do they want us to carry the deceased 400 yards along the road to get to the chapel of rest?

"That would not be very discreet and before long people would be complaining.

"If the council want us to wheel the deceased from the town hall then that's what we'll do but what sort of respect would that show?

"I don't think insensitive is the word. I don't think they'd even be able to spell the word.

"If they were going to issue a ticket, couldn't they just pop into the office and ask us to move?

"The ticket shows we were parked there just five minutes.

"It's ridiculous. We have been here since 1905 and have never had a problem until now."

The council apologised and said the ticket would be cancelled immediately.

A spokeswoman said funeral vehicles unloading and loading coffins were exempt from parking restrictions.

She added: "This was obviously a mistake, possibly by a new warden who wasn't aware of the rules, and we will arrange for the ticket to be cancelled.

"Providing the vehicle was being used to load or unload and it wasn't there for hours and hours, it should have been exempt from the restrictions.

"Special arrangements for funeral homes are written into our parking legislation so they did not need to apply for a waiver.

"We are of course sorry for any upset or inconvenience."