MOTORIST Markus Aitken was left speechless when he was handed a ticket by police for playing his car stereo too loud.

Mr Aitken, of Ribble Drive, Whitefield, had stopped to ask a police officer for directions when he was issued with the fixed penalty notice.

He refused to pay, and now wants his case to be heard in court.

The 30-year-old has even written to the Prime Minister to ask for a legal explanation of noise limits.

While driving to his former home in Middleton in March last year, Mr Aitken began to worry about the directions he had been given.

He saw a patrol car near to the Roach Hotel on Croft Lane, Hollins, and left Riverdance playing on the stereo as he parked up to ask for advice.

Mr Aitken said: "The policewoman inside gave me the directions and then commented about the radio, saying that it was excessively loud. I said that I didn't think it was and she said that she would have to issue me with a ticket."

Mr Aitken refused to pay the £30 fine on the grounds that no-one could tell him how the term "excessive" was defined. Since the incident, additional costs mean that he faces a demand for £200.

Last week, bailiffs arrived at The Elizabethan Hotel, where Mr Aitken is currently living with his parents. However, they left empty handed when Mr Aitken insisted that he would challenge the penalty notice in court.

His most recent letters, to Tony Blair and Greater Manchester Police Chief Inspector Michael Todd, demand an explanation of the law.

Mr Aitken says that his requests for information from the police and solicitors have so far proved fruitless.

He said: "I dont expect to hear from Tony Blair, but it doesn't seem fair that notices can be issued like this.

"It can be annoying when people are playing music blasting through boom boxes, but this was just an ordinary stereo and it wasn't very loud. I want a proper hearing where they have to prove that it was above a legal limit."

A spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police said that no official complaint had been received from Mr Aitken, and added that specifics of the law were a matter for the Home Office.

The law states "no motor vehicle shall be used on a road in such a manner as to cause any excessive noise which could have been avoided by the exercise of reasonable care by the driver".

When enforcing, police officers are told to either give a verbal warning to the driver, issue a fixed penalty notice or report for prosecution, as they deem appropriate.