Warden was parked on yellow lines

But his annoyance quickly turned to fury, when he realised the warden had also parked on double yellows in Canal Street, Jericho, to ticket him for the very same offence.

So, the married father-of-four pulled out his camera and snapped the traffic warden parked on the double yellow lines in her Renault Scenic.

When she realised he had a camera, he said she told him taking pictures of her was against the Data Protection Act and ordered him to delete them.

According to Mr Swailes, when he refused to delete his photographs, she threatened to call the police before driving off.

Oxfordshire County Council, which is responsible for the enforcement of on-street parking, said traffic wardens were legally entitled to park on double yellow lines to enforce the rules.

Mr Swailes, a director of North Oxford Property Services, was prepared to accept being caught fair and square for the parking offence when he spotted the traffic warden looking at his black BMW about 8am on Thursday.

He said: "We rushed out and she hadn't actually issued a ticket. She was punching it into a machine.

"My house is being refurbished and the plasterer pointed to the car and said 'she's parked on double yellows herself'.

"I didn't even know she had a car. She was parked on double yellows to give me a ticket. It was almost blocking the road. I think it's a cheek. It's ironic. I'm surprised they have a dispensation to commit the same offence that they fine the public for."

Mr Swailes, 42, admitted parking on the double yellow lines outside his house overnight - but said all the residents-only spaces had gone when he came back from work late and he had been about to move his car.

He said: "I was mad - absolutely mad."

A spokesman for the county council said: "Traffic wardens are legally allowed to park on double yellow lines in the course of their duty."

No one was available to comment on whether taking photographs of traffic wardens was against the Data Protection Act.