A STAR of the BBC television show Allo Allo! was left fuming when Camden Council impounded his wife s Mini while they were on holiday. Primrose Hill resident Roger Kitter, who played strutting Italian officer Captain Alberto Bertorelli in the camp comed

A STAR of the BBC television show 'Allo 'Allo! was left fuming when Camden Council impounded his wife's Mini while they were on holiday.

Primrose Hill resident Roger Kitter, who played strutting Italian officer Captain Alberto Bertorelli in the camp comedy, had to pay £350 to get the car back.

A week ago he wrote to Camden Council demanding it reimburse the money.

The car was towed away on April 30 - a month after the parking permit expired - but Mr Kitter and his wife did not receive a renewal notice and there is no expiry date printed on the permit.

He said: "We got back on May 7 and found the car gone from our normal residents parking bay. I called the police to report it had been stolen and they told me it hadn't - it was at the car pound in Kentish Town."

The actor visited the Regis Road pound and had to pay a £350 to get it back - £50 penalty charge and £300 for towing and storage at the pound.

He said: "To take the car with no warning whatsoever is disgraceful. The council is taking diabolical liberties - it's a joke. It is just trying to squeeze as much money out of us as it can."

In a letter to Camden's parking solutions department he said the local authority should send out a renewal notice. He added: "Thank God I had £350 to give them. What if it had been some poor person on the breadline with no spare cash?"

A Camden Council spokeswoman said a reminder notice was sent to Mr Kitter on February 20.

She said: "The penalty charge notice is legitimate. Mr Kitter and his wife had 28 days to dispute the claim, they didn't. However, we are making our parking policy fairer and have cut down on towing except for the most prolific offenders.

"Therefore, we have decided to refund the £300 charge for towing and storage.