A biker was threatened with a fine for parking her motorcycle in a motorcycle bay - because it has three wheels.

Vikki Haffenden was at work at the University of Brighton when a colleague warned her a traffic warden was writing out a ticket for the Piaggio MP3 scooter, which was parked outside.

When Mrs Haffenden challenged the warden, he called his supervisor, who said the vehicle was not eligible to park in a motorcycle bay because it has three wheels.

When the mother-of-three called Brighton and Hove City Council on Monday, she was told it was an "anomaly" in recent legislation.

Mrs Haffenden said she was concerned she would have to buy a permit to park outside her house in Stanford Road, Brighton, and would have to take up a car parking space at the university.

She was puzzled with the ruling as the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) had classified the vehicle as a motorcycle on its licence.

She previously owned a conventional two-wheel scooter but decided to try a more stable model after skidding on a manhole cover in West Street.

After contacting the council again yesterday, she was told they had decided the vehicle is indeed technically a motorcycle and can be parked in motorbike bays.

A spokesman for the council said: "We did not issue Mrs Haffenden with a penalty charge notice and have rung her to say she will be allowed to use the motorcycle bays.

"We have also instructed our parking attendants to this effect.

"We generally define motorcycles as two-wheeled machines. But we recognise that her particular make and model is an exception that should be accommodated."

Mrs Haffenden said: "This is a relief to me and will be to other owners who may have already received tickets.

"I will wait and see if this decision trickles down to the wardens in time to prevent another confrontation.

"It seemed to me that the council was enacting something before looking into what this actually meant on the street, its impact on inhabitants of the city and on the morale of local people."

Piaggio began selling its three-wheeled scooter in 2006.

The advantage of two front wheels is greater stability and traction when the road is wet or uneven.

It is ridden the same way as a two-wheel bike, but can be brought to a stop and parked like a car, without the need for a stand.