Jenson Button is reported to have talked his way out of being issued with a parking ticket in central London last week.

11146 - Button's close shave with a traffic warden

Button parked his McLaren sports car outside shops in London's Sloane Square, and as a small crowd gathered to admire the vehicle, the attention of one of the city's notoriously pedantic traffic wardens was attacted.

The warden gleefully issued a ticket, even though Button had bought a pay-and-display ticket, claiming it was not visible, a much-loved ploy by the wardens who are paid depending on the number of cars they penalise.

"Jenson did pay and display but this was not visible to the traffic warden when he began issuing the ticket," a spokesperson for Button told the Daily Mail. "His friend pointed this out when he came out of the shop and the warden agreed not to issue the ticket."