A commuter mounted a one-man protest when he was told his morning train would not be stopping to pick him up - by parking his car on the rail line.

Property manager Simon Taylor, 47, blocked the line with his Renault Kangoo in protest at rail operator South Central.

His patience snapped at Berwick station, near Eastbourne, in September last year when he was told the 6.30am service to London Victoria would not be making its scheduled stop.

He got back in his car and parked it across a level crossing, forcing a six-minute delay.

Taylor, of Windmill Road, Polegate, pleaded guilty at Hove Crown Court yesterday to obstructing an engine, contrary to the 1861 Malicious Damages Act.

But he claimed he had no idea he had stopped his car on the track, saying his judgment had been affected by his anger.

Judge Austin Issard-Davies said he refused to accept Taylor, who has on several occasions campaigned to become a local councillor, was unaware he had parked on the track.

Taylor was granted bail and faces a maximum of two years' jail when he is sentenced on June 17 .

Nigel Taylor, prosecuting, told the court the commuter arrived at Berwick at about 6.20am on September 29 last year.

He parked his car but was told by ticket inspector Denise Andrews the train would not be stopping.

He was told he would have to drive to Lewes but the service would be not be held for passengers left stranded at Berwick.

Mr Taylor said: "Ms Andrews saw his vehicle and he was parked on the level crossing. She saw him come out of the vehicle and leave it on the crossing, effectively at right angles to the track."

Taylor walked back to the ticket office and asked why the train was not stopping. He was asked by a signalman if the car was his and if he was going to move it, which he did.

He then parked the car in the station car park and caught the 7am to London.

He later told police: "It was a staggeringly stupid thing to do. It was done out of anger and frustration and lack of thought. I woke up at 5am to catch a train to London but because of the negligence of South Central it did not stop.

"I wanted someone to give me an explanation. I was going to be an hour late for work."

Under the national track access agreement, South Central was fined £212 for every minute the train was delayed, a total bill of £1,272, which Taylor may have to pay.

Bespectacled Taylor, who walks with a limp, was called to give evidence by his defence lawyer, David Harounoff.

He claimed the rail operator had used a train too long to stop at stations with short platforms.

He said: "I was angry. We had been told these new sliding-door trains were the pride and joy of their fleet and were going to put right the misery of train travellers.

"Those of us who had travelled on cold, smelly slam-door trains with dirty loos were led to believe these new trains would put an end to all that. But sadly it didn't stop.

"A ticket lady shouted from the other platform that the train would not be stopping. I drove off in my car but then wanted to go back and say something.

"So I just turned left out of the car park and stopped.

"My car was half across the pavement and half across the track but it was not a deliberate gesture. It was not intentional.

"I was angry. I just blew one. It may sound incredible now but I was absent-minded at that time. It was dark."

On the demand for compensation, Taylor said the train would have had to have stopped anyway for 13 minutes due to the time it would have made up by not stopping at the short-platform stations it was supposed to, including Berwick.

He said: "To blame me for that delay is hypocritical."

Judge Issard-Davies said: "Having seen and heard Mr Taylor, I do not believe he did not realise he had left his car on the level crossing.

"The fact the car was there for some little time and the fact it was there at all is, I conclude, connected to his anger at the situation he found when he arrived at the station."