A dad panicked when he saw two police officers draw up in their marked patrol car and park in his private bay.

But as he waited anxiously for a knock on the door, little did he know that they had just dropped by to pick up a Costa coffee.

Neighbours spotting the police vehicle outside his flat in Maidstone immediately jumped to conclusions and asked him if he was being arrested.

After replying to several text messages to "clear his name", the uniformed officers returned to their car in a private road 20 minutes later armed with their hot drinks.

The man said: "It was very embarrassing. I have only been here a year and get on well with my neighbours. I felt like my reputation had been damaged in just 20 minutes."

The 31-year-old was watching television at his home in Beckett Close when he was alerted by his security door camera that a car had pulled into his allotted space.

He said: "I looked out of the window and thought what have I done wrong?

"For somebody who's never been charged with anything, it shocked me.

"To me it shows a lack of respect. If they had knocked on my door and asked if it was OK to park there for a few minutes I'd have said 'yes'.

"It seems it's one rule for one and one for another."

The officers had gone to the nearby Sainsbury's to pick up their coffee at about 10.30 am last Thursday.

The man said: "What I don't understand is there appeared to be spaces outside the shop."

He has made a formal complaint to the Professional Standards Department of Kent Police about the incident and also made Helen Grant, Maidstone MP aware of the situation.

Andy Saunders, Kent Police press officer said: "I can confirm that a person has made a complaint in relation to where a police car was reportedly parked near a property in Maidstone. The complaint is currently under review."