The director of music at Canterbury Christ Church University has hit out at the council after being given a £50 parking fine for leaving the front wheels of his car 20cm outside a parking bay.

Grenville Hancox left the car outside his home in Cromwell Road, Canterbury, on Thursday morning.

"It was displaying a valid residents’ parking permit, but I inadvertently left it with the front wheels 20cm outside the parking bay," he said. "As a result of this oversight, which did not in any way interfere with access to my own house, I received a Parking Enforcement Notice demanding a payment of £50.

"This example of over zealous behaviour on behalf of the traffic officers does suggest that there is a brief to extract as much money as possible from council tax-paying citizens."

The council said Mr Hancox had caused an obstruction by leaving his car 20cm outside the bay but Mr Hancox, who took photographs of his car after he received the fine, said: "I was not causing an obstruction as my photos show. I don’t consider parking a car 20cm over the white line a heinous crime yet I have been fined £50 for doing so."

Canterbury council’s head of housing, community safety and environment services Larissa Laing said: "The council has looked at the circumstances in which Mr Hancox received his penalty charge notice and has decided to cancel it on this occasion.

"Although it was issued legitimately because Mr Hancox clearly did not park fully within the bay, we have since learned that he was parked outside his house in a residential area and the only obstruction he caused was to his own driveway. We have therefore taken a more lenient approach to this case. However, if the vehicle is seen parked like this again in future another ticket will be issued."

Afterwards Mr Hancox said he was relieved and encouraged that the council had seen sense over the fine.