A furious motorcyclist who was slapped with a £70 fine even though he had parking voucher has accused council chiefs of discriminating against bikers.

John Mole, 63, attached the £2 residents’ visitor pass to his motorbike when he parked outside a friend’s flat in Selborne Road, Hove.

But when the retired housing manager returned to his bike after watching Sussex County Cricket Club play he was stunned to see he had been given a parking ticket.

Mr Mole said he had used a voucher to park outside friend David Chaffey’s flat many times before and had never been fined.

He said: “I parked next to some friends who were also visiting to watch the cricket and they attached a voucher to the windscreen of their car.

“When I returned to my bike I had been given a ticket but my friends who were in the car had not.

“I have parked there many times before and never had a problem. There were no signs saying motorbikes could not park in the residents’ bays.”

Mr Mole, of Pasture Hill Road, Haywards Heath, has written three appeal letters to Brighton and Hove City Council but has failed to have the fine he received in September overturned.

But he said he will continue fighting the council because he feels bikers are being discriminated against.

He said: “It is absolutely disgraceful that they can charge me £70, even though my friend had already paid for me to park.

“I come into Brighton on a motorbike to cut congestion but it seems the council doesn’t want bikes here.

“It is discrimination and the council hasn’t even made it known to bikers that they cannot park in the normal spaces.”

A council spokesman said: “The council provides free 24-hour motorcycle bays and there is a motorcycle bay in Selborne Road a very short distance from where Mr Mole parked.

“Visitor permits are not suitable for use with motorcycles because it is not possible for them to be attached in a way that prevents the possibility of theft.

“The conditions of use of our visitor permits specifically say they must be displayed by either folding the permit over the nearside window or placing the permit in clear view on the nearside dashboard. Neither of these are possible with motorcycles.

“Mr Mole has told us he fixed the visitor permit to his petrol tank. Our enforcement officer did not see it and it is not clear from the photos taken where the permit was displayed.

“We have advised Mr Mole of the appeals process that is open to him and have sent him a form to allow him to do so.”

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