Driver ticketed by warden parked on double yellows (From Wimbledon Guardian)

Driver ticketed by warden parked on double yellows

7:40am Thursday 24th May 2012 in Parking Madness By Lauren May, Chief Reporter

A driver claims he was blocked in a yellow box junction by a council CCTV van parked on double yellows – which then ticketed him.

Sean Lynch, 37, was driving in rush-hour traffic on Monday, May 14, across the junction at Dorset Road and Kingswood Road when he claims he was forced to stop in a ‘yellow boxed’ junction because the parking officer was “blocking his way” and came to a standstill for less than a minute.

The traffic officer then photographed Mr Lynch, while parked on double yellows, and issued him with a £70 fine, which he said would arrive by post.

Mr Lynch, from Keswick Avenue in Merton Park, said: "There’s usually enough space for two vehicles in the entrance to the road but because the camera van was actually parked on double yellows blocking it I had nowhere to go and couldn’t pull fully into the road.”

Mr Lynch approached the traffic officer, who simply told him to take it up with the council.

He added: “He was creating the blockage and then taking photos of people who were getting caught up in the problem.

“Even when there were no vehicles there he made it very difficult for the van to manoeuvre through these roads.”

After reviewing the footage, the council revoked the ticket saying Mr Lynch had been blocked by another vehicle approaching from the opposite direction, but maintained the council vehicle was legally park in an area that can also be used by the disabled and for loading and unloading for 20 minutes.

Mr Lynch said: “Had I not contacted the Wimbledon Guardian I probably would have got a ticket. I’m glad they have seen sense.”

The covert nature of the CCTV van has raised further concerns about the revenue boosting methods of Merton Council.