Parking attendants were forced to return to repaint yellow lines after a motorist claimed he had been the victim of a prank.

Builder Sam Hickmott complained to Brighton and Hove City Council last week that a prankster had painted a set of wobbly double-yellow lines along a section of Conway Street in Hove.

The seemingly amateur artist had even sprayed over rubbish, including a plastic cup and cigarette butts littering the gutter.

Mr Hickmott had parked on the section of road near his office, unaware of the new handmade lines.

A parking attendant came along and slapped a £30 fine on his Land Rover Discovery.

He thought he had been the subject of an elaborate hoax and telephoned the council to complain.

Following Mr Hickmott's complaint, four traffic wardens, armed with spray cans and a broom, were dispatched to Conway Street to have a second go at the paint job.

They jumped out of two vans and sprayed black paint over the wobbly yellow lines in preparation for a more convincing set of lines.

Mr Hickmott, who runs Cambridge Property Maintenance, said: "It's hilarious. They painted in one set of lines and they are just as wobbly as the first ones."

A council spokesman said: "NCP staff painted over existing double-yellow lines on Conway Street as they were badly faded.

"The lines on Conway Street were a temporary measure until council highways staff could paint permanent road markings.

"On Wednesday NCP staff went to repaint the temporary lines after a motorist complained they were not of a high enough standard."