Madrid regional president Esperanza Aguirre (archive photo) was fined yesterday for leaving her car double-parked as she lunched with fellow PP leaders at the exclusive Venta de Aires restaurant in Toledo city centre.

During the meal, provincial leader of the PP's Nuevas Generaciones Youth Movement and Toledo Town Hall councillor, Juan José Alcalde, got up on stage to announce that the police were removing cars illegally parked outside, for which he blamed the town's socialist mayor, Emiliano García-Page.

Dozens of guilty offenders immediately rushed outside to check, some of whom, such as councillor María José Rivas, were disappointed to find that their vehicles had already been towed away. While the same fate did not befall Ms Aguirre, she did pick up a fine.