Kingston Council took itself to an independent tribunal because of a £60 parking ticket issued to the driver of a council-hired car.

The vehicle was on long-term hire to Kingston Council when it was caught by a parking warden on single yellow lines at Surbiton Broadway in November 2001, it has emerged.

The driver of the vehicle, Mr Barilli, argued that there was no Surbiton Broadway and said he had not seen a ticket and an appeal was issued on behalf of his employers.

But six months later, after hearing evidence from “both sides”, Mr R Reeve, an officer at the independent parking appeals office in Chertsey, rejected the appeal, concluded that the fine should be paid and that Kingston owed itself £60.

Barrie Segal found evidence of the appeal for his book The Parking Ticket Awards: Crazy Councils, Meter Madness & Traffic Warden Hell.

He said: “Every time I talk to people about it I can’t stop getting the giggles.

“What was interesting is that the council had to pay its own parking ticket to itself.

“It was a fairly unusual decision because lots of adjucators take the view if it is a single entity it can’t take any action against itself. There may have been a special reason.”