A plumber with a valid permit has had to pay almost £600 for leaving his van in a parking bay.

Mark Jenkins, 48, and his family were woken at 6.30am on Tuesday by bailiffs who had clamped his van and banged on his door stating he must pay up or have his Renault towed away.

Two police cars drew up to the house in Capel Avenue, Peacehaven, after Mr Jenkins called them to help resolve the dispute but officers told him he had no choice but to pay the £597.57 charge.

The father-of-three, who is self-employed said: "It was like I was a terrorist or something the way things were outside. It was a complete farce."

Mr Jenkins parked his work van in a parking bay in High Street, Rottingdean, last June.

He believed he could do so because he has a traders' permit which he says allows him to park in roadside pay-and-display bays. He pays £70 every three months for the privilege.

He was given a £30 parking fine which he queried at the parking office in Brighton. He wrote two letters explaining he had a permit, after receiving notice the fine had been hiked to £60 and then £90.

He heard nothing further and believed the situation must have been resolved. But he found out from the bailiffs that Brighton and Hove City Council had taken the case to the County Court without his knowledge. The council has insisted he parked in a car park, which the permit does not cover.

But Mr Jenkins said: "The amount of money is ridiculous - I don't know where they got their figures from and I want my money back. It seems so unjust.

If the permit's paperwork said I couldn't park in a car park then fair enough but there's nothing to say you can't park where I did.

"I heard nothing about it going to court. I would have thought if it went to court I would get the chance to explain everything there but I heard nothing until I got this guy turning up on my doorstep."

A council spokeswoman said: "The council gives people every opportunity to challenge their tickets if they think they have been incorrectly issued."