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.”

Wiltshire Police later issued a statement saying: "Can we clarify that the £35 fine was paid personally by the Chief Constable on the day he received the fine."