I once worked as a car park control officer and had a very similar encounter with a very similar upper class toff. I'd ticketed a car which was parked so that it was causing an an obstruction, when I was approached by said toff. He irately wanted to know why he'd been issued with an excess parking charge, and insisted that I take it back.

I explained that he was causing an obstruction and that I had no power to rescind the ticket. If he wanted it quashed, he would have to take it to the council's car parks department.

An outraged and one sided argument then developed in which he told me several times he'd been copped for this very offence before and that he shouldn't be treated like this because he was "counsel".

Then I saw the light of day. We were at the back of the crown courts, and this geezer trying to avoid his obligations was a barrister, fully briefed in the machinations of the law.

Surely he, of all people should have realised that the 1984 Road Traffic Act applies equally to all car driving citizens without fear or favour.

Or did he, like this pleb of a government minister, think that the law and other regulations only apply to mortals of lesser social standing than he?