A man stood in front of a tow truck as parking wardens moved in to seize his car.

Stuart Parker, 23, stuck his pay and display ticket to the windscreen of his Vauxhall Nova when he pulled up in Hova Villas, Hove, to visit a friend.

But he hadn't spotted the little yellow signs warning that the spot was temporarily reserved for a removal lorry.

As he left the house at 8pm on Tuesday he saw the yellow flashing lights of the city's tow truck and his car being lifted on to the back.

Mr Parker, from Hassocks, said: "I ran out and saw my car being towed away.

"I asked the man in the truck if he could just unload the car and let me park it somewhere else but he refused.

"I stood in front of the truck for a while and tried to stop him moving but then the police came and I gave in."

Mr Parker was forced to shell out £135 to retrieve his car from a pound. He said the time delay almost cost him his job as a baggage handler at Gatwick.

He said: "I used to live in Brighton and Hove until last year but couldn't afford the cost of parking once the restrictions changed. The parking made me leave and now it's made me never want to come back."

Mr Parker said there should have been cones in the reserved space on the ticket machine. Leaflets could also have been delivered to residents to let them know about the restriction.

He admitted warning signs had been put up in the area but said he hadn't seen them.

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "If Mr Parker feels he has been unfairly treated, he can challenge the parking ticket.

"If he is successful, all his money will be returned to him, including the vehicle delivery fee.

"We only authorise a tow away after a series of checks have been made. Once it is in operation, it can't be stopped.

"We have to be seen to be fair and if we make an exception here, where would we stop?"