A bizarre council rule led to a woman being fined £60 for putting parking vouchers worth the correct amount on her car.

Gill Hodges wanted to park for two hours near Chingford Mount Road and used four 50p 30-minute parking vouchers to make up the required £2 fee.

But when the 60-year-old returned to her green Vauxhall Omega, she was shocked to discover a traffic warden had given her a parking ticket because she had not used two £1 hour vouchers.

Mrs Hodges said: "I couldn't believe it when he told me. I feel it's very wrong. I had paid for two hours and I hadn't broken the law.

"If somebody has blatantly parked on a yellow line then fair enough, but I didn't. I want to warn people that the council is doing this."

When she returned to her Pole Hill home in Chingford, Mrs Hodges wrote an angry email to the council and the local authority decided to cancel the ticket and reimburse her.

She added: "I'm worried that if people are continually fined for buying the wrong vouchers then they won't want to go out to the shops.

"The council is just trying to make as much money as possible and it is all so unnecessary."

Cllr Bob Belam, environment cabinet member, said: "As in any such case, a motorist has the right to challenge a parking penalty through an individual appeals process.

"Within the Traffic Management Act, local authorities now possess a greater degree of discretion in such cases, which is a vast change from the less flexible Road Traffic Act.

"Despite clear instructions on the reverse of Mrs Hodges' vouchers warning that you can only use two vouchers at any time, the council decided to use its discretionary powers and revoke the fine.

"However, this cancellation came with the proviso that should Mrs Hodges get another parking ticket, that fine will not be cancelled."