A PENSIONER has given his car away after being fined for parking outside his house.

William Andrews, 70, was told to pay £30 for parking his Datsun Bluebird in Parkfield Road, Rainham, in a restricted area. He has given his car to his granddaughter to avoid further fines.

Mr Andrews says he was forced to park in the road because another motorist had parked across his driveway.He left the car in the road overnight and in the morning found a ticket on his windscreen from Medway Council.

His son, also William Andrews, who lives in Herbert Road, Chatham, said: "My father wrote them a letter telling them why he had parked in the street during the restricted time period and they simply told him he must pay the fine, which has now doubled, being two weeks after it was first issued.

"I'm disgusted that because someone else had been so inconsiderate a pensioner has been forced to fork out money for a fine."

A restriction between 8am - 10am operates to prevent commuters using the road near the railway station. But Mr Andrews said: "It's not an effective system when the residents are getting fines because others prevent you from parking on your own drive."

A Medway Council spokesperson said: "We are sympathetic to the situation faced by Mr Andrews, but with all instances of obstruction we would urge residents to contact the police."