An irate motorist has been forced to take midnight drives in a bid to escape newly-enforced parking rules.

Teacher Natalie Woods is among a number of drivers to be slapped with fines after leaving their cars parked in Aylesford’s Bailey Bridge car park.

The 27-year-old, who lives in the High Street, has described her frustration at being hit with a £50 ticket while she was supposed to be self-isolating following a Covid-19 case at the college where she works.

Villagers without access to private or on-street parking have used the car park for many years without incident but following complaints of people sleeping in vans in the car park the rule of a maximum stay of 23-hours in any one day is now being enforced.

“I have lived here for two years and have never had a problem in all that time,” Ms Woods said.

“That is the only place we can park, so it has caused uproar. No one has been informed it was happening. There are lots of people who are shielding who have got tickets as well.

“The whole High Street has to park there because we have not got driveways. Where else can we go? My car was parked there for months in lockdown.”

"They’ve taken a sledgehammer to crack a nut...”

Ms Woods is now getting around the 23-hour rule by taking her car out for a spin late at night to reset the clock.

“I have been going out for an hour’s drive,” she said. “I went out about midnight, just told my mum that I was going for a quick drive.”

Responding to residents’ anger, a Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council spokesman said: “We were recently contacted by some Aylesford residents who highlighted that a number of cars and vans were being left for long periods in the village car parks, reducing the turnover and availability of spaces for others.

“We responded by carrying out checks and issued a number of tickets to vehicles which were breaching the limit of a 23-hour stay in any 24-hour period.

“If anyone feels they have been unfairly ticketed or there are mitigating circumstances, such as shielding or self-isolation, they do have the right to challenge the penalty.”

Chatham and Aylesford MP Tracey Crouch dismissed the council’s stance as “nonsense”.

She said: “There were some people sleeping in vans but they’ve taken a sledgehammer to crack a nut.”

Ms Woods had an appeal against her fine rejected.

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