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Wardens branded as 'over-zealous'

Ria Nortcliffe
6/ 8/2008

A PENSIONER has hit out at wardens after she was landed with a ticket for parking just inches over the white line in a Wilmslow supermarket bay.

Sally Blackwell was left speechless after an "over zealous" traffic warden slapped a £40 fine on her BMW in Sainsbury’s car park because her wheels were slightly over the white line of an end parking bay.

But Sally, of Drumble Field, Chelford, said it was not possible for another car to park next to her because there was an information sign in the adjacent parking space.

She claims she also needed extra room on the passenger side to get out of her car due to the way the vehicle next to her was parked.

Sally wrote to Macclesfield Borough Council to appeal against the parking ticket within days of being fined on July 2 and sent a photograph of her car in the bay.

"My vehicle was parked in an end bay next to an information sign and it was not possible for any other vehicle to park on my nearside either that day, or for that matter, on any other day," she said.

"As it happens, I did not realise that my two nearside wheels were slightly on the line, but naturally one has to leave enough space to vacate one’s own vehicle without damaging the door of the adjacent vehicle. This is courteous parking surely?

"My vehicle had a valid parking ticket, as I do abide by the law, but I, like many other people, will now find it preferable to visit Handforth Dean instead of Wilmslow to avoid the over-zealous and extremely officious civil enforcement officers who seem to take great delight in persecuting pensioners like myself.

"This fine has been unfairly awarded as no other vehicle was ever able to park on my nearside.

"Do we really have to live in such a persecuted way, and is this what we pay our taxes for?"

Under new Government proposals motorists also risk being fined up to £70 for parking too far away from the kerb.

The Department for Transport announced last Tuesday it is ready to allow councils to impose fines for "anti-social parking" even where no warning signs have been displayed.

This would affect drivers who are guilty of leaving their cars more than 19.7 in (50cm) from the kerb.

Motorists parking by a dropped kerb could also risk a penalty charge notice from a council traffic warden.