A FURIOUS divorcee took his ex-wife's ashes to York council offices after being deluged with demands for parking fines relating to a car which was sold two years ago.

John Walker was at the end of his tether when he handed over an urn containing his former wife Zitta's ashes, together with her death certificate, to a startled council official.

"I hope this is enough evidence to prove she is not alive," he told the official.

Father-of-two Mr Walker, 40, said he was forced into taking desperate measures when bailiffs threatened to seize goods from the family home, in Willow Rise, Thorpe Willoughby, near Selby.

Mr Walker, a satellite communications technician, who was divorced 18 months ago, said Zitta died in her York flat in January from a blood clot after battling breast cancer.

But despite sending a copy of her death certificate to the council ten days after her death, he said he was still hounded for payment of the parking fines.

The summonses began arriving last summer. She was sent five separate £50 fines relating to offences in York, Scarborough and elsewhere in East Yorkshire.

Mr Walker said his wife sent off the registration form for her clapped-out Peugeot 405 to the DVLA when it was sold for scrap two years ago.

But it never reached the DVLA in Swansea, and, unknown to her, she remained the registered owner. In the hope of stopping the demands, Mr Walker posted a copy of her death certificate to the councils involved.

But more demands addressed to Mrs Walker from City of York Council arrived, informing her the fines had been increased to £95.

Then last week, two letters arrived on the same day from a firm of bailiffs demanding payment of £213.

It was the last straw for Mr Walker, who took the ashes from the living room cabinet and drove to the council offices in York.

He said: "It might seem a bit drastic, but the whole thing was becoming a nightmare for me and my two daughters.

"It's been hard enough trying to cope with Zitta's death without all this hassle. I just hope this is the end of it."

A City of York Council spokesman said Mrs Walker was pursued for payment of three parking fines as she was the registered owner of the Peugeot and they had received no evidence indicating a change of ownership.

He said: "Mr Walker then informed us over the telephone that Mrs Walker had since died and, as soon as he was able to provide us with documentation, we cancelled the action.

"The council has played this matter absolutely by the book, although of course we have every sympathy for Mr Walker and he has our condolences on his loss."

Updated: 15:41 Friday, May 16, 2003