When Linda Read visited Kings Langley to go walking with friends, little did she realise she would end up in a six-month battle with Dacorum Borough Council.

Having parked her Ford Kia on an access road by Home Park Mill Link Road, she said she felt confident she had left her car in a “legitimate space” – as there were no markings or signs to indicate she could not park there.

However, Mrs Read said she was left dumfounded when on her return she found she had been issued with a parking control notice (PCN).

Mrs Read, from Royston, said: “The access road off Home Park Mill Link Road seemed perfectly acceptable place to park – there were cars already parked there and there was no signage or lines on the road to indicate it wouldn’t be fine to do so.

“There is chained access with a sign reading ‘no parking in front of chained access – access needed 24 hours’ and ‘residents parking please keep clear’, but other than that, nothing to indicate parking either side of the chain would be an issue.

“But when I returned, my car, along with three others had been issued with PCNs.

“I couldn’t believe it.”

Since she was issued the £70 fine on March 22, Mrs Read, along with her husband Ben, have been at “logger-heads” with Dacorum Borough Council.

She said: “We decided not to pay the fine as that would be an admission of guilt.

“It’s not about the money – it’s the principle.

“The morning after it was issued, I emailed the council challenging the PCN.

“As far as I’m concerned, the track road that I parked on is separate from Home Park Mill Link Road, which does have double yellow lines.

“I have phoned Vinci parking services and told them the double yellow lines apply up to the tree line, but do not include the track road.

“I have asked the council repeatedly to explain why I’ve been given this PCN, but I’m banging my head against a brick wall.”

According to a letter sent by the council three days after the PCN was issued, Mrs Read was given the fine for “parking on a waiting restriction on public highway”.

It further states that “waiting restrictions indicated by yellow lines apply to the carriageway, path or pavement and verge.

“The path is a public highway, yellow lines are enforceable from the centre of the road to the boundary of private land.”

But Mrs Read is steadfast in her belief that the PCN has been incorrectly issued.

She said: "I’ve sent maps indicating that the track is separate to the main road – but the council just won’t have it.

“We’ve appealed, we've been to a tribunal, but our protests are falling on deaf ears.

"We are not going to let this go.”

Dacorum Borough Council said that the case has been dealt with in a formal appeal to the Traffic Penalty Tribunal and that it had upheld the penalty.

Katie Warner, council representative, said: “The adjudicator's decision is final and binding on both the council and the appellant.”