ANGER AT WARDENS' HOLIDAY BLITZ

Motorists claimed this was the first time parked cars had been targeted by wardens on a bank holiday since the scheme started 18 months ago.

They said were not told of the new decision and were caught off guard on what they assumed was a 'free' day's parking.

East Sussex County Council says this is not true.

Said Nick Benjamin of Chapel Hill, who received a 30 fixed fine: 'I was left fuming. I parked in South Street and got a ticket for the first time on a Bank Holiday.

'There were no warning notices.'

Mike Lethem of Barcombe, who also received a fine, said: 'I parked in the Friars Walk car park and didn't buy a ticket because normally on a bank holiday the wardens don't take action.

'We had actually been told by attendants that they didn't come out on bank holidays but this time they did.

'It's simply not fair to do this without warning.

'Lots of people unfairly received tickets.'

A county council spokesman said: 'Parking attendants were working in Lewes in the usual numbers for a bank holiday.

'Car parking signs do not suggest any difference to charges and we enforced those regulations as we have previously on bank holidays.

'Neither parking regulations nor policy regarding bank holidays have changed since the introduction of the new parking scheme in Lewes in September, 2004.

'For many, bank holidays are now normal shopping days and, just as they expect to find shops open, so it is also reasonable to expect that car parks and on-street parking should be operating normally.

'In this respect, Lewes is no different from other parking operations nationwide.'