A DRIVER who protested against a parking fine by writing the cheque on toilet paper has donated the money to a children's charity.

A DRIVER who protested against a parking fine by writing the cheque on toilet paper has donated the money to a children's charity.

Richard Roper, of Long Melford, kept his pledge to double the money to charity after his �30 parking fine issued by Suffolk Constabulary was eventually cancelled in court.

A cheque for �60 was presented to staff at the East Anglian Children's Hospice (EACH) in Ipswich yesterday - but this time it was on more conventional paper.

Mr Roper, 63, of Roman Way, Long Melford, chose the unusual method of payment to register his disgust at Suffolk police's tougher stance to parking charges in Sudbury.

But while the toilet paper cheque was eventually accepted, he was then ordered to pay �15 extra because ticket administrators Her Majesty's Court Service could not process the payment.

Mr Roper, a retired former company manager, took his protest to court in December where the parking fine, issued while he was at the Masonic Hall in Sudbury in September, was cancelled.

Presenting the money to EACH, which provides care for terminally ill children, he said: “In my original letter to the Suffolk Constabulary in which I stated that, in my opinion, the ticket was issued in an over zealous way, I said that if they cancelled it I would donate twice the fine to EACH. As there was nothing to pay, I am keeping my promise.”

A spokesman for EACH said: “Richard is a man of his word and we are delighted to be accepting this cheque on behalf of the children and families we care for - we are also pleased to say it's on the more traditional sort of paper!”