Car towed away from 'booked' bay

Claire Symmonds, 34, paid £10 to book a bay outside her flat while she packed up her belongings to move in with her boyfriend.

But despite being told she could use the bay for a day, her F-registration Peugeot was slapped with a £30 penalty charge notice before being towed away to a pound.

She had to pay out a further £117 to get it back.

She said: "I am amazed and furious. The suspension was to enable me to move flat without the hassle of trying to find parking for the removal van and my car.

"Without consulting me, the council removed my car, which is registered in my name and has a valid parking permit.

"If the council is going to remove a vehicle from a suspended bay, they should have the common sense to cross reference who the registered owner of the vehicle is."

Miss Symmonds admits she originally reserved the bay in Montpelier Road, Hove, for a removal van.

She parked her car in its place because the van driver managed to find another spot.

The car was towed to a pound in Sackville Road, Hove, after Ms Symmonds had moved her belongings into her boyfriend's home farther down Montpelier Road.

Brighton and Hove City Council has refused to refund the cash, saying Ms Symmonds contravened parking regulations.

A spokeswoman said: "The parking bay was suspended for a removal van and that is what Miss Symmonds paid her £10 for.

When the parking attendants saw a car parked in a suspended bay, they rightly removed it.

"Miss Symmonds broke the terms of her agreement so she was also issued with a £30 penalty charge notice, even though she held a permit."

Miss Symmonds intends to challenge the council's decision.

She said: "It was certainly never made clear to me the bay could only be used for the removal van. I intend launching an appeal against the council's decision to get back my money."

Her boyfriend Darren Marks, 36, added: "It is a bureaucratic nightmare. All Claire wanted to do was make moving a little bit easier."