A couple have vowed to boycott Cumbria – after being given an obscene gesture by a traffic warden.

Alex and Cat Marsh, who live near Chester, wanted to visit north Cumbria to offer the region their support in the wake of December’s devastating flooding.

The couple were spending last week in a caravan park in Hesket Newmarket. They had been at Silloth beach on Wednesday and decided to head into Cockermouth for a coffee.

They were unaware of the Main Street parking restrictions and tried to explain this to a warden who was booking their car.

Mr Marsh, an operations manager, said: “I did not realise the area was a disc zone and if I had I would not know how to comply.

“I spotted the council enforcement officer applying the ticket and challenged why. He seemed pleasant at first explaining that I was not displaying a disc. I asked about the scheme and he presented me with a disc from his pocket.

“I told him we were visitors and did not know we needed to get a disc from a shop.”

However, Mr Marsh said the conversation soon took a turn for the worse.

“[The warden] continued to take photos of my car and so I went to take a photo of him. He turned to the side, presented a finger in the air and said we were invading his privacy.

“He then became quite rude and abusive towards us and we felt the need to withdraw as his temper was becoming quite irrational and I thought he could become violent at any time. My wife was totally distraught by his behaviour.”

He added: “We normally holiday in the Yorkshire Dales, where people are very friendly to tourists, but thought we would try the northern Lake District to support the area after the recent floods and this is the welcome we got from a council official.

“We will not return to the area and I suspect that many other tourists have made the same decision.”

Mr Marsh has complained to the county council and plans to appeal against his parking ticket, but is also demanding an apology.

Diane Wood, chief executive of Cumbria County Council, said: “This behaviour is unacceptable from any council employee and we would like to apologise for the distress and offence caused. An internal investigation has now been initiated.”