But while he was under the surgeon’s knife, car park attendants were busy fining him. They even threatened Peter with court until the Tele took up his case.

Peter, a software engineer with Realtime Worlds in Dundee, took ill in June. The pain became so extreme he drove himself to the emergency ward at Ninewells.

Within minutes, he was diagnosed with acute appendicitis and admitted for an appendectomy. Doctors said his appendix was within half a day of bursting.

“I was in a lot of pain and when I got to hospital I was immediately admitted.

“They operated on me soon after and then I was in hospital for three days.”

When Peter finally left hospital, he discovered his car had been given several parking tickets.

He spoke to an attendant who told him he could visit the Ninewells parking office and state his case in person.

However, the parking office told him an appeal would have to be made in writing to Vinci Park.

“I wrote to them with a doctor’s note attached and then never heard anything more from them.

“Then I started getting letters from debt collection agencies and I received a court summons for hundreds of pounds.

“I phoned them and they told me I should have phoned for an ambulance when I was ill.”

After being contacted by the Tele, Vinci Park promised to overturn the parking ticket.

A spokeswoman said, “If a customer is kept in for circumstances beyond their control, it is our policy to cancel the ticket.

“While we have no record of a letter from Mr Walsh, Vinci Park will happily overturn the ticket in question if Mr Walsh would be willing to send the solicitor’s letter to the parking manager.”