A man was fined for driving on a street where traffic is banned during term time even though the school was on holiday.

Glencoe Road in Chatham is part of a School Streets scheme, where vehicles are not allowed to go during certain hours during term time. Drivers who flout the rules are fined.

Gary Peters says he drove down Glencoe Road on October 30 when the school was on half-term break and was shocked when he was sent a fine through the post.

As a local, he knew about the restrictions but thought they would not be in force as Phoenix Junior Academy - the school associated with the Glencoe Road School Street - was on holiday from October 21 to November 1.

However, some time later he received a fine, saying he had broken the rules.

When he appealed, Medway Council told him the fine would stand as it had been issued on a teacher training day, which is considered a normal school day and so restrictions apply.

School Streets is a scheme where roads around certain schools become pedestrian-only at school drop-off and pick-up times.

They only apply during term time and residents who live in the streets, as well as emergency vehicles and blue badge holders, are exempt.

The aim is to make children’s journeys to and from school safer by reducing the amount of traffic on key roads.

Mr Peters says he supports the concept but thinks it’s ridiculous fines are issued on days when no children are walking to school.

He added that people who don’t have children at the school wouldn’t be aware of when teacher training days are and wouldn’t know restrictions are still in place despite it being a holiday.

He said: “We want to protect the children, that's the most important thing, I've no problem with that at all.

“But usually in a school holiday, you wouldn't be fined. How is anyone ever going to know it's a school teacher training day?”

He said more effort was needed to communicate when the restrictions are in force.

He said he lives locally and knows to avoid the School Street during term time but had no idea it would apply on a teacher training day and didn’t know there was one on October 30.

He continued: “When you check the website to see when teacher training days are, it's not on there.

“Unless you happen to be one of the parents of children at the school you’re not going to know.”

He has now paid the fine so the cost was reduced from £70 to £35 but thinks the council should have been lenient as the rules weren’t clear.

He also said he knows other people have also received fines for driving through on teacher training days and some have won their appeals.

Mr Peters said it appeared to depend on which officer dealt with the appeal as to whether the fine was upheld or not.

He added: “At least 20-odd people on the local Facebook group have received tickets when they shouldn't have. Some of them have actually had them quashed for exactly the same reasons as I gave.

“There's a discrepancy at the council with the workers - some are quashing the tickets, others are refusing.”

“We can confirm a senior member of staff will be reviewing this appeal…”

Medway Council was asked about how it makes drivers aware the restrictions apply on teacher training days, when training days are, and whether the restrictions are necessary on days when children aren’t attending school.

A council spokesperson said: “School Streets are roads which have temporary traffic restrictions during the school term to help keep children safe - these restrictions are not in place during the weekends or school holidays.

"We can confirm a senior member of staff will be reviewing this appeal.”

The spokesman confirmed that during the October half term, October 29, 30 and 31 were teacher training days.

He said the council was looking to update its website to ensure the wording on when School Street restrictions are enforced is clearer.

In total, 85 fines were issued over that period on the roads associated with the Phoenix Junior Academy School Street.