Northampton driver stunned by 4am parking fine- but look at the cars the wardens ignored

Greg Bull of Burns Street, The Mounts, had taken his family to watch the school Christmas concert on Thursday, December 15 and decided to park near his house that evening.

But with no spaces in the surrounding streets, he decided to park on double yellow lines as safely as possible. However, although he was rightly given a ticket, the hour it was issued left him surprised

He said: “I got up to move the car at 7am and was amazed to find a ticket on the windscreen with a time stamp of 4am.

“This means that the council is paying people to give out tickets, a week before Christmas at such a ridiculous time.

“I spoke to a friend who told me he had got a ticket at 1 am – so it’s open all hours now for the traffic wardens.”

Mr Bull has been ordered to pay a penalty charge notice of £35 by Northamptonshire County Council for parking in a restricted street during prescribed hours.

But he has questioned why other cars were able to park at seemingly unsafe angles with impunity.

He adds: “In Abington, cars regularly park on the pavement and on the corner, which generally makes the pedestrian’s life difficult. Often busy mums rushing to school have to endanger their family by walking on the road as the pathway is blocked.

“I understand the need for double yellow lines at busy junctions or where it would be dangerous to park, but the thing that’s even more infuriating is the fact that double parking, dangerous parking and blocking garage entrances isn’t penalised. This happens around here a lot.”

It is understood that other residents have drastically taken to parking their cars on footpaths so they avoid parking tickets.

Mr Bull is now calling on the County Council for parking permits.

A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council told the Chron that double yellow lines are in place to protect the public’s wellbeing.

He said: “Parking restrictions which are in place at all times, such as these double yellow lines, are also enforceable at all times.

“These double yellow lines are there for safety reasons in order to keep the junction clear.

“If people disagree with the ticket they have been issued, there is a statutory appeals process in place, the details of which are on the reverse of the ticket.”