Actor Gary Whelan who played Inspector Harry Haines in ITV's The Bill is furious after a run-in with his local police.

Unable to find a parking space near his bank in Brighton, he stopped outside the branch "just for a couple of minutes while I popped in".

He did not stay long. A customer rushed in and told him a parking warden was writing him a ticket.

Whelan said: "I went outside to my Bentley and asked the warden How can I afford to pay that?' It was a joke, but four policemen who came along didn't get it. The warden wasn't complaining but the police stopped me and issued me with a ticket explaining why I had been spoken to.

"One of them said I would be taken to court for a public order offence and I would be hearing from them soon.

"It's absolutely ridiculous and if they are that stupid to summons me for telling a joke then I'm saying right now I won't go, no way.

"What is this country coming to?"

Brighton police said no court action was planned. A spokeswoman said: "Officers offered Mr Whelan words of advice about the manner in which he spoke to the attendant."

Some good came from the incident.

Mr Whelan's stop-and-search ticket, displaying the "Abusive to parking attendant" allegation, raised £70 for charity.

He stuck it ont o a canvas and auctioned it for the Brighton-based children's charity Whoopsadaisy.

Whelan is expecting better notices next Tuesday when he attends a theatre awards ceremony.

He has been nominated for best supporting actor for his role in A Whistle In The Dark at the Royal Exchange.