AN Army officer has criticised council chiefs for making him pay a parking fine after a meter scheme was introduced while he was in Iraq.

Warrant Officer Darren Adam, 37, of the Army Physical Training Corps, was given a £30 fine after parking his Renault Laguna in Darlington's Grange Road and failing to pay the newly-introduced 80p-an-hour charge.

Parking meters had been installed on the road while he was on a six-month operational tour of Iraq - but WO Adam said he knew nothing about them.

He appealed against the ticket to Darlington Borough Council, but was told he should have familiarised himself with the road's parking regulations.

The soldier said: "How could I? I was in a Iraq when the scheme was introduced and had just got back when I got the fine. I knew nothing about it.

"I park there every single time I go to Darlington and I know you can only stay there for an hour. I didn't think I needed to check.

"I just walked away from my car, completely ignorant to the fact that they had introduced the charges."

The married father-of-two, from Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire, said he was appalled that the authority would not make an exception for him.

"I am not in the habit of parking illegally and under normal circumstances I would hold my hands up and admit that I was in the wrong and pay the due fine," he said.

"But, considering the circumstances, and considering that the reason I did not know about the meters was because I was doing my bit for my country, I think it is farcical."

A Darlington council spokesman said: "The council's proposals were widely publicised more than six months ago. The scheme has been mooted for probably more than a year.

"The signs are up and the meters are there. The rules are the same for everyone and I'm afraid there are no exceptions."

Traders in Grange Road said their businesses had suffered a steep drop in sales since the meter scheme was introduced on November 8.