Sergeant Cheung recalled the events of the day in an interview with OffBeat.

He said: "I was on traffic duty when I saw her car parking in a restricted zone outside Tsuen Kam Centre in Tsuen Wan so I drove up to see what was happening. She explained that she could not find the way to Discovery Park to pick up her 77-year-old relative who was leaving for the US and that she had to wait there for her relative instead.

"I felt it would be too much for her elderly relative to walk such a long distance with luggage in hot weather so I decided to help her find her relative."

SGT Cheung also exercised discretion by giving the driver a verbal warning instead of a fixed penalty ticket for parking in a restricted zone.

"A police officer should not only take enforcement action at all times but should exercise discretion where appropriate in dealing with minor offences and lend a helping hand to citizens in need," SGT Cheung explained.

The driver was deeply grateful for the help of SGT Cheung, saying that "his attitude towards me, a traffic offender, and his warm smile will leave an everlasting impression with me."

SGT Cheung told Offbeat that it was the second time he received a compliment from the members of the public related to a traffic matter during his 24 years of service with the Force.

"I am delighted by the compliments but what I did was just putting our Force motto ' We Serve with Pride and Care' into action," he said.

His supervisor, Senior Inspector Cheung Che, was proud of SGT Cheung's performance. He agreed that giving a verbal warning and explaining traffic regulations to minor traffic offenders in some situations was a good alternative to issuing a fixed penalty ticket.