A garage owner was left fuming after he received ten parking tickets in as many minutes.

Ian Jowitt, who owns Thwaites Garage, Brighton, had to move his customers' cars out of the garage to make room for a tanker delivering oil.

He and his staff parked the cars on Mighell Street, where many bays were empty while the delivery was taking place.

They put notices on the windscreen of each vehicle explaining the situation.

But when they went to retrieve the cars all ten had parking tickets, giving Mr Jowitt a total parking fine of £300.

Mr Jowitt, who has owned the business for ten years, said: "Surely we could be allowed a few minutes' grace?

"We left notes on the vehicles so can't the traffic wardens knock on the garage door to find out what's going on?

"I'm so frustrated. I have written to the council time and again asking for a bit of breathing space - all I'm trying to do is earn a living."

Mr Jowitt, 41, said he received an average of between £100 and £200 in parking fines per month.

He added: "This is making me so stressed, it's just ridiculous."

A council spokeswoman said: "The garage is in residential parking area C, which is one of the areas with the highest demand for permits.

"Although no residents live there, those nearby need the spaces. There is so much pressure for parking no visitor or business permits are issued in the zone.

"The garage owner could write to his local councillor making the case for a business permit to be considered.

"We have to apply the rules consistently and cannot make exceptions.

"If cars owned by customers have been given notices they will be quashed on appeal if the customer can show their car was in the garage at the time."

The cars were left parked and unattended on the road between about 9.20am and 9.30am.

Mr Jowitt is planning to appeal against all ten tickets.

He said: "The traffic wardens must have moved very fast. The cars were only out there for the duration of the delivery - not more than ten minutes.

"I've found myself in a bit of a dilemma really.

"I've written to the council asking for parking permits but because I'm a commercial business I've been told I can't get one. What exactly am I supposed to do?"