A company which trains bus drivers got fined for its drivers stopping at a bus stop.

Terry Bolton, 56, is the owner of the National Driving Centre, based in Croydon, which trains people to drive vehicles such as buses and coaches in London.

Mr Bolton began his fight with Sutton Council in May 2011 after his coach was fined £55 for carrying out “the bus stop exercise” on Woodcote Road, which the Driving Standards Agency requires the company to teach.

He said: "All other companies do this- they don't get fined because they look like buses and we look like coaches."

He paid the fine but immediately appealed it and the adjudication fell in his favour in September because the vehicle was considered to be a bus.

The adjudicator dismissed evidence provided by the London Borough of Sutton (LBS) that the bus stop was clearly signed to show that only buses were permitted to stop.

Mr Bolton then engaged in an email battle with Sutton Council in order to try and get his £55 back.

However, after this got him nowhere, he decided to issue a small claims court summons against LBS for the £55 and costs.

He said: “If the boot was on the other foot and we had failed to pay £55, they would have taken our stuff back; bailiffs would be round, knocking on my door.

“These are reluctant steps I’ve had to take but what else can I do to get my £55 back?

“I’m trying to fight for the little man.”

Councillor Simon Wales, executive member for communities, transport and voluntary sector at Sutton Council, said: “Only local buses or specially-permitted coaches are allowed to use bus stops.

When a ‘non permitted’ vehicle blocks a stop, it can delay a timetabled bus or make it dangerous for passengers to get on and off safely.

Mr Bolton’s vehicles do not have an exemption to use Sutton bus stops so he received a ticket.

“He won his appeal because the adjudicator ruled that the camera footage was unclear, so we will be refunding him the £55 asap and I’d like to apologise for the oversight which led to the delay in returning this money.

"It’s worth pointing out that we take a common sense to parking in Sutton and issue the lowest number of tickets in London - and we are now working with Transport for London to see if Mr Bolton’s company can be granted a permit.”