A motorist has been embroiled in a bizarre row with the council over whether his car is parked legally – for four months.

Since then, the red Fiat 500 driver parked in Ship Street, Folkestone, has been hit with a barrage of fines and warnings, and now could face the bailiffs.

Many people would be intimidated by the snowballing number of Penalty Charge Notices ordering payments of £25 and up, dumped on the windscreen.

But standing firm in the storm, this driver has left two notes on the dashboard hoping to convince traffic wardens to write off the fines.

Daubed in capitals in black felt pen on torn A4 sheets of lined paper, they read: “Brocken (sic) down waiting for recovery” and “No parking restrictions when parked, very unfair.”

Spotless inside with a scratched left panel, the car has been parked within a stone’s throw from Boscombe Garage for so long it can be seen on July’s Google Street View.

A virtual tour of the road shows no parking bays or signs, and the Fiat tucked next to the kerb near the Bournemouth Road junction underneath a streetlight, as if illuminating the issue.

Previous Street View photos shot in August 2016 show no sign of the car or graffiti on the brickwork, which borders the old abandoned gas works site now earmarked by FHDC for homes.

It’s impossible to tell exactly when the 1248 cc Fiat arrived, however some neighbours believe as far back as April.

Sitting in the same spot facing Foord Road with its scuffed tyres and worn hubcaps, the car remains in a controlled parking bay in front of new restriction signage.

Its MOT ran out this month and road tax is due to expire in February, meaning the driver could be liable for a £1,000 fine.

During its impressive run of 160,920 miles, the 2009 model has a chequered MOT history.

In January 2013 it failed for faulty headlight beams and the registration plate characters being incorrectly spaced.

Later that year it failed again for problems with the suspension and nearside headlamp, but once remedied the Fiat enjoyed a clean bill of health until 2016, when the headlamp problem returned.

In 2017 it failed when the windscreen washer became blocked and the passenger door jammed but the owner patched it up and the car was re-serviced with a pass within days.

In August this year Ship Street became part of Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC)’s Controlled Parking Zone scheme.

The roll-out means people are charged £30 a year for a permit to park outside their homes between 8am and 6pm.

The authority hopes to free-up congestion, make money, and give residents a better chance of parking near their homes.

Neighbours have been speculating who the car belongs to, with some even calling for it to be scrapped.

Simon Terry, organiser of Folkestone's Naked Bike Race who lives nearby, said: “It has been sitting there long before the parking restrictions were put in during the summer.

“I live a few roads away from there but in the same zone.

“It’s got notes on it saying it has broken down but no one believes that now."

Mum Sarah Robson, 29 of nearby Foord Road, added: “It’s a mystery, nobody around here has a clue who owns it or what it’s doing there.

“It could be that the driver has ended up in hospital or had to move away urgently, but then these notes have been left on it.

“If it’s something serious then I don’t think they should be charged, but if it’s just laziness then they should pay.

“It’s tricky though, because the car was there before the new parking bays were introduced.”

One Facebook user wrote: “Two warnings and five tickets.

“Since the parking won't be enforced in the roads around here the parking will return to being over-run by people like this anytime soon - tow and crush.”

Another added: “That car has been there for months. I laugh at it every time I walk past.”

A council spokesman’s response poked fun at the driver’s claim the car had broken down, but warned patience is wearing thin.

They explained the driver was served three warning notices in August but the authority received no response.

They said: “When he failed to move the car or obtain a permit we issued the Penalty Charge Notices, he did not contact us to appeal.

“We’ve sent him a number of letters but had no reply.

“We allow time for a broken down vehicle to be recovered but feel this is pushing our patience a bit far.

“If he’s got breakdown cover, he really needs to contact his provider about response times.

“Or perhaps he could call in to the garage that’s just across the road from where the car is parked and arrange the necessary repairs?"

They added: “Some of the cases of unpaid PCNs will soon progress to the bailiffs and they will decide on whether to remove the car or seize goods.”