Residents have been fined £60 each for leaving their cars on a hard shoulder where they have parked every day for more than 20 years.

A traffic warden swooped on Nevill Road, Hove, last week, ticketing at least half a dozen cars.

Several other residents dashed out and moved their vehicles before the warden reached them.

Residents tried to explain to the warden they thought they were legally parked but said they were ignored.

They say the now defunct Hove Borough Council had granted permission to residents to park on the hard shoulder, which runs along the western side of the road from the junction of Nevill Avenue to Woodland Drive.

They claim it was a condition of a planning application by Coral's Greyhound Stadium.

Brighton and Hove city councillor Peter Lewis, who lives in Nevill Road, has written to Alan McCarthy, director of environment and housing at Brighton and Hove City Council, objecting to the traffic warden's heavy handedness.

Residents have also sent a petition to the council voicing their outrage.

Corinne Blass, of Nevill Road, said: "As we understood it, it was perfectly legal to park on this hard shoulder. People have been doing it for more than 20 years and nobody has ever received a parking ticket before.

"It always seemed to be a sensible place to park as it kept vehicles off the road and allows traffic to flow freely.

"What makes us most angry is the fact we never received any warning this was going to happen. If we had we would have stopped parking there."

Coun Lewis said: "I share the total outrage and frustration felt by residents of Nevill Road.

"From my understanding, because double-yellow lines are marked along the western side of the road, residents are contravening the orders as the enforcement act extends from the road to the pavement, thereby including the high shoulder area.

"However, I wish to express my strong objection to these events, particularly regarding the over-zealous nature and total lack of reasonableness of the traffic officer involved and the lack of consultation with local residents, who have been parking on the area for more than 20 years."

Coun Lewis said residents should have received prior warning this was going to happen.

He added: "What use will be made of the hard shoulder now? Nothing - there will be no alternative use. It will just increase the immense frustration of residents and visitors to the area."

A spokesperson for the city council said: "In this particular case we are going to look sympathetically on people who were parking on the verge. Each case will be judged on individual merit but some may not have to pay the fine.

"We are also reviewing the traffic for that area. If it is the case that people have been parking there for more than 20 years they may well have a legitimate case for continuing to do so. It is something we will be looking into."