A MUM has told how she was slapped with a parking fine for a ticket that expired while she was in labour – despite a note on her car explaining she was giving birth.

Jess Brooks, 33, parked her car at her mother's house in Newtown, Sydney, before going to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital for a scheduled induced labour.

Brooks' water broke at 6am, October 21, and she expected the baby would be born that day.

She paid for a 24-hour visitors' parking permit and rushed to the hospital, Australia's Sunday Telegraph reported.

But complications led to Brooks' labour lasting almost an entire day - a massive 21 hours - and she didn't give birth until 3am the following morning.

She said: "We didn't get up to the ward until 8am so we had both been awake for 30 hours and it slipped our minds.

“By the time we remembered the car it was just after midday and it was too late, the fine was issued at 11.56am.”

In an attempt to avoid a fine, Brooks' mother had left a note on the windscreen that said she and her partner had the car keys with them at the hospital.

The young mother appealed the fine with a written letter, even providing the birth certificate, but it was rejected.

Revenue NSW said the £62 ($112) parking fine was entirely justified as the “restrictions were clearly signposted”.

Brookes said: “I was shocked labour was not considered a legitimate cause for leniency.”

Inquiries from The Sunday Telegraph successfully revoked the fine and an apology was issued to Brooks.