Officers who drive Medway Council's CCTV car have been told not to stop directly in front of zebra crossings when trying to catch motorists parked illegally.

The controversial car is pictured here parked on double yellow lines directly in front of a crossing outside Byron Primary School, in Gillingham.

The photo was taken in Canterbury Street between the junctions with Byron Road and Chaucer Road.

Cyclist Kristian Sigston took the photo while he was on his way to work on Thursday morning.

He said the crossing patrol man, who helps Byron pupils across the road, knocked on the window to talk to the enforcement officers to tell them not to park there.

Mr Sigston said: "I understand the need for parking regulations but to me, blocking the view of a zebra crossing must violate some law let alone personal moral laws about not putting children's lives in danger."

We passed the photograph to Medway Council, which has now instructed the drivers not to park so close to zebra crossings.

A council spokesman said: "Although the CCTV car is able to park on double yellow lines to carry out enforcement and we can see the staff in the vehicle have ensured that it has not stopped on the pedestrian zig zags in this street, we do feel that perhaps the vehicle could have stopped further away from the pedestrian crossing.

"The staff members concerned have been instructed to do so in the future."