According to a report in the Kurier newspaper the police officer has been ordered to pay €1,000 as part of the disciplinary action but looks set to keep her job as she has since made an effort to repay €7,000 of the total fines.

The case came to light when the MA 6 department for tax and accounts sent a payment demand to the state police department. At that point the debt for the unpaid fines totalled €23,750.

The police officer said that her problems started because she was careless and sloppy and forgot to pay the initial fines. When the bill for the unpaid fines began to mount up she became stressed and tried to pretend it wasn’t happening. She left warning letters and penalty notices from the MA 6 unopened. “I saw no way out,” she told the disciplinary board.

When asked why she continued to park her car in short-term parking zones and didn’t use public transport she said that she was more flexible when she could use her car and it was “more convenient”.

Police officers in Vienna can use public transport for free and she could also have applied for a parking permit which would have allowed her to park outside the police station where she works.

After receiving two official warnings from her superiors, after which the fines remained unpaid, her employers decided to take disciplinary action. A report found that she was still fully capable of serving as a police officer and carrying a weapon.

She has since applied for a parking permit.

According to Vienna city council the policewoman does not hold the record for unpaid parking fines, with another offender owing a staggering €44,000.