PARKING charges are "indirect taxation" according to an angry councillor, who was fined £60 for leaving his car eight inches outside a parking space.

Councillor Peter Freitag, who has a disabled badge, parked in a disabled space at Park Lane car park, near Darlington rail station, at 8am on November 29 last year, before an appointment at Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle.

When he returned at 1pm, he had a £30 fine - because his car narrowly overlapped into the yellow hatched area by the space.

Coun Freitag contested the fine, but Darlington Borough Council insists the overlap makes it valid. The fine has now been increased to £60, due to it not being paid in 28 days - but he says he will contest it in court if necessary.

The Liberal Democrat, who represents Park East ward, says an increasing number of residents complain to him about Darlington's parking fines.

In 2005-6, the last financial year for which figures were available, Darlington Borough Council collected £248,278 in fines.

"I see they are taking Gordon Brown's lead in indirect taxation,"

he said. "I have had many, many complaints from residents unhappy at the town's parking policy.

"I was slightly in the hatched area, but nowhere near close enough to anyone else's car to impede them. It's ridiculous - it's a vicious way of doing it.

"I am not bothered about the amount. I am bothered about the principle. This is a financial thing - they collect fines to fund the council, not to fund the policing of car parking.

"On Duke Street, where I work, one side of the street is policed by the council, and one side by the police. People park on the police side, because they know they are fairer than the council wardens.

I intend to go to court about this."

By Owen Amos owen.amos@nne.co.uk OUTSIDE THE BOX: Councillor Freitag's car at Park Lane car park, in Darlington But a Darlington Borough Council spokesman defended the fine.

He said: "The hatched area next to disabled parking bays is there so that wheelchair users have plenty of space and are able to safely get in and out of their vehicles.

"Parking a car in that hatched area could potentially prevent a blue badge holder from doing this and it is standard practice to issue fines in such cases."