A motorist who pays more than £30 for an annual parking permit is so frustrated at the lack of spaces that he has taken to leaving his car on double yellow lines.

Mark Neale, who lives in Brompton, uses the lines when he returns home late at night and claims there is nowhere within a quarter of a mile to park.

So far he has been given four tickets. He has appealed against all of them and won twice.

Mr Neale, an operations director for a pub chain, believes traffic wardens are targeting cars late at night in residential areas where there are no real traffic issues.

He is also annoyed that although some motorists park their cars half-off and-half on the pavement, traffic wardens don’t issue tickets to them.

When our reporter went to meet Mr Neale, she witnessed wardens walking past cars which were parked in that way and none were given a ticket although one was slapped on a car on double yellow lines.

Mr Neale, 50, who lives in Garden Street, said: “The council are just targeting residential areas because it is easy pickings.

"The council are just targeting residential areas because it is easy pickings" - Mark Neale

“The council knows there are not enough parking places for residents, so the wardens are targeting those areas because they know people will have to park illegally at times, especially late at night.

“When I have parked on double yellow lines, it has been right outside my house. I’ve not parked there until about 11pm and I am gone again by 6am. Who is it hurting to park there at night?”

The Messenger revealed at the end of last year that traffic wardens were working until 1am.

Medway Council say illegal parking is not tolerated at any time of the day or night and those found breaching regulations will get penalty charge notices.

A spokesman said: “Restrictions are in place in Garden Street to help provide on-street parking for residents.

“Residents with parking permits are able to park on both sides of the road 24 hours a day, as one side of the road is residents only between 8am and 10am.

“This helps to prevent town centre commuters from leaving their vehicles in the area all day.

“While we understand it can be frustrating when there are no spaces available outside residents’ homes during busy periods, the permits do allow for parking in the wider area to enable drivers to park elsewhere.”