A DRIVER was left stunned after his parked car was lifted up so double-yellow lines could be painted underneath - before the council slapped him with a ticket.
Baffled James Dee returned to his car to find it was facing the opposite direction to which he parked it and the back wheel was sitting on double yellow lines.
What's worse, a council traffic warden swooped in and hit him with a £55 fine for parking illegally.
Furious James, 43, told The Sun: "I couldn't believe it. Not only did the council move my car to paint the lines, they then had the cheek to slap on a parking ticket which I'm having to appeal.
"I'm absolutely fuming, I'm not paying a penny."
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Bus driver James said he drove to work as normal, parking his red Vauxhall Zafira on Beadman Street in Norwood, south London at around 10.30am.
He then started his shift at the nearby bus depot, returning several hours later.
"I'm a bus driver and had parked near to my work like I do almost every day," he said.
"It's on an industrial estate and there's some roads where you can park with no restrictions, all the drivers park there and have done for years.
"Where I'd left my car there were no lines whatsoever, but when I came back that night at about 8.30pm, my car was facing the opposite way to how I parked it, there were double yellow lines underneath my back wheel, and a ticket in my window.
"It was a head-scratcher, at first first I thought it was a prank, that's until I realised Lambeth Council had stitched me up, it's absolutely ridiculous.
"The council could have put up a sign or cones to warn people they were painting lines, but of course, they didn't bother."
Married dad-of-three James immediately appealed the fixed penalty notice, which was issued in May, but Lambeth Council denied his claim, insisting he had parked on a single yellow line.
Facing an increased £110 fine, the bus driver then turned detective and managed to find a local business with cameras facing the road where he parked.
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"Luckily I found some CCTV which showed I was in the right," he said.
"It showed a tow truck lifting up my car while council workers wearing yellow high-vis vests painted lines underneath.
"About 40 minutes later you see the warden come along and issue a ticket.
"What's worse if they had moved my car just six inches forward it would have been parked legally, they clearly couldn't be bothered to do their job properly.
"I've got them caught bang to rights on camera, I won't be paying a penny."
James has now submitted a formal written appeal citing the CCTV evidence and is awaiting a response.
Lambeth Council has been contacted for comment.
This comes as one landlord was left furious after he discovered double yellow lines had been painted outside his house with "no notice".
Tony Green from Cramlington, Northumberland says the council's bizarre and sudden move has left his pregnant tenant with nowhere to park.
Meanwhile in Romford, East London, enraged locals have hit out at the council being slapped with parking fines.
A number of residents say they have been fined because the bays are too small to squeeze into.
Elsewhere, a scathing driver has hit back after being slapped with a £50 fine even though he paid through the parking app.
Ron Wilson bought his ticket but soon discovered a penalty notice because he hadn't "displayed a ticket".
