A 65-year-old is outraged after council employees painted a disabled parking bay around his car - then fined him for parking there.

Gary Walker, of Evenhill Road in Littlebourne, celebrated his 65th birthday at the end of last month with a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Morocco with his family.

On September 22, he drove to his sister's house in Marlborough Road, Gillingham, parking his car a few doors from her house.

"I parked there with a valid visitor's parking permit, and we got a taxi to the airport," explained Mr Walker.

"The holiday was brilliant - I'd never been to Morocco before."

But on returning from his relaxing 10-day trip, the retired Canterbury City Council business rates inspector was met with a nasty surprise.

"I noticed a parking ticket attached to my windscreen, stating I was parked in a disabled bay, which I indeed was," he said.

"There was no disabled parking bay area around my car or any signs stating that there was to be any before we set off.

"What they had done was paint a disabled parking bay area around my car in my absence."

Adding insult to injury, the parking fine had been issued at 2.15pm on October 2 - just one hour before Mr Walker's plane had landed in the UK.

"I couldn't believe it," he said.

"I was upset to be honest, and it takes a lot to upset me. I was trying to get through to Medway Council by phone and was just getting an automatic message."

Images show the white lines council-contracted workers painted around Mr Walker's vehicle.

Working around the obstacle, they appear to have painted as far as they could reach underneath the car - a 2018 Volkswagen T-Roc.

"I'm not blaming the traffic warden," said Mr Walker.

"He won't have known they'd painted the lines around the car.

"But Medway is a unitary authority. They deal with everything - roads, schools, hospitals. The line painters should have just contacted the parking people and said 'we had to put lines around this car, can you not issue a fine?'

"I'm just asking for a bit of common sense.

"Everyone I've told has found it funny. Of course I can see the funny side."
Mr Walker immediately appealed the fine by contacting Medway Council.

On Wednesday, head of highways and parking at Medway Council Simon Swift said: “We have looked into the appeal and found that the penalty charge notice was issued in error.

"We are sorry for any inconvenience caused and have cancelled the fine."