Student faces a £60 fine every time he tries to park on his own driveway

With a busy road packed with commuter traffic and a pedestrian crossing just yards away, simply driving to and from his house can be a major headache for Maxwell Cannon.

Whether he goes in forwards or backwards, a breach of the Highway Code is almost inevitable – and so yesterday the chemistry student achieved the unwelcome distinction of being fined £60 for reversing into his own driveway.

The 25-year-old, who lives with his mother, a Labour Parliamentary candidate, was spotted by police waiting for a break in heavy traffic so he could back up the drive of the family’s terraced home in Harrington, Cumbria.

They told him he was committing an offence because he was stationary on the zigzag markings of the crossing and told him to move on.

But when they returned after driving a mile up the road he was still there, waiting for his chance to reverse into the house, a court was told.

He was fined £60 but lodged an appeal, and yesterday a judge was told it ‘offended common sense’ that someone was not allowed to reverse into his own driveway.

However the argument was rejected, and afterwards the Manchester University student said he and his family had now been placed in an impossible situation.

‘It’s ridiculous, but I’ve taken it as far as I can,’ he said. ‘It leaves us with the threat of being prosecuted every time we try and get into our own driveway.

‘I understand the policeman has a job to do, but he could have showed some discretion.

‘I think he was just throwing his weight around, and as motorists we’re easy targets for them to get their crime figures up.’