Parking wardens are scaring off friends and family hoping to visit their loved ones in Faversham.

“Beyond furious,” Angie Roberts was visiting close pal Ros Young in Stone Street on Thursday morning when she was given a parking fine within minutes of leaving her car and heading inside to pick up a visitor’s permit.

The council has now said that parking along residential roads in the town, including Stone Street, requires a permit to be displayed at the time you pull up into the bay.

But motorists are questioning whether the system is fair as drivers will almost always have to pick up the voucher from the friend or relative they are visiting.

Angie, who lives in Church Road in Oare, says that it was no longer than a couple of minutes between her leaving her car and returning with a voucher, but the parking inspector had already pounced.

She said: “I parked, crossed the street, knocked on the door, had time to say hello and get a visitor’s voucher and went back outside.

“It was a matter of minutes, maybe not even that.

“I have never experienced anything like it in Faversham. The parking wardens are ruthless.”

Ros, who has lived in the town for more than 30 years, said: “Friends and family come here all of the time.

“Everyone knows they have to get a visitor’s permit. If they forget and it’s been half an hour, then it is fair enough that they are given a fine.

“That’s understandable, but when you’re a minute, surely there must be some leeway.

“This has happened twice in the last two months. My friends will start to think they won’t come round again because they are scared they are going to get a ticket!

“How bad is it going to get? Are they going to be able to give you a ticket if you’re sitting in your car or if someone is dropping you off?

“It’s absurd. We hope that their policy will change and there will be more reasonable parking restrictions.”

Council spokesman Phil Sutcliffe said: “We have received a challenge to the penalty charge notice from the driver and parking services will of course consider any mitigating circumstances presented as part of the appeal.”