diff --git a/PR.md b/PR.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..707c67c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/PR.md
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+# Fix sign character class accidentally matching a pipe `|`
+
+## Problem
+
+`timeparse` accepts a leading pipe `|` as though it were a valid sign and
+silently parses the rest of the expression, instead of rejecting the malformed
+input with `None`:
+
+```python
+>>> from pytimeparse import parse
+>>> parse('|5m')
+300           # expected None
+>>> parse('|1:24')
+84            # expected None
+```
+
+## Root cause
+
+`pytimeparse/timeparse.py`:
+
+```python
+SIGN = r'(?P<sign>[+|-])?'
+```
+
+Inside a character class, `|` is a literal character, not the alternation
+operator. So `[+|-]` matches `+`, `-`, or `|`. When the input starts with `|`,
+the `sign` group captures it, the pipe is stripped from the string, and the
+remainder is parsed as if no sign were present (`sign` resolves to `1` because
+`'|' != '-'`).
+
+## Fix
+
+Use a character class containing only the two intended sign characters:
+
+```python
+SIGN = r'(?P<sign>[+-])?'
+```
+
+Now a leading `|` is not consumed as a sign; the pipe stays in the string, no
+time-format pattern matches it, and `timeparse` returns `None` as it does for
+any other unparseable input. Valid `+`/`-` signs are unaffected.
+
+## Test
+
+Extended `test_timeparse_signs` in `pytimeparse/tests/testtimeparse.py`:
+
+```python
+self.assertIsNone(timeparse.timeparse('|5m'))
+self.assertIsNone(timeparse.timeparse('| 5m'))
+self.assertIsNone(timeparse.timeparse('|1:24'))
+```
+
+## Gate
+
+- `python -m pytest pytimeparse/tests/testtimeparse.py` -> 49 passed.
+
+Counterfactual (fix reverted, test kept): fails with
+`AssertionError: 300 is not None`.
diff --git a/pytimeparse/tests/testtimeparse.py b/pytimeparse/tests/testtimeparse.py
index c305bb5..29f4cef 100644
--- a/pytimeparse/tests/testtimeparse.py
+++ b/pytimeparse/tests/testtimeparse.py
@@ -83,6 +83,10 @@ class TestTimeparse(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(timeparse.timeparse('- 32 m 1 s'), -1921)
         self.assertIsNone(timeparse.timeparse('32 m - 1 s'))
         self.assertIsNone(timeparse.timeparse('32 m + 1 s'))
+        # A stray pipe is not a valid sign and must not be silently accepted.
+        self.assertIsNone(timeparse.timeparse('|5m'))
+        self.assertIsNone(timeparse.timeparse('| 5m'))
+        self.assertIsNone(timeparse.timeparse('|1:24'))
 
     def test_timeparse_1(self):
         '''timeparse test case 1.'''
diff --git a/pytimeparse/timeparse.py b/pytimeparse/timeparse.py
index ace5cc3..346596f 100644
--- a/pytimeparse/timeparse.py
+++ b/pytimeparse/timeparse.py
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ kinds of time expressions.
 
 import re
 
-SIGN        = r'(?P<sign>[+|-])?'
+SIGN        = r'(?P<sign>[+-])?'
 #YEARS      = r'(?P<years>\d+)\s*(?:ys?|yrs?.?|years?)'
 #MONTHS     = r'(?P<months>\d+)\s*(?:mos?.?|mths?.?|months?)'
 WEEKS       = r'(?P<weeks>[\d.]+)\s*(?:w|wks?|weeks?)'