BEXLEY: Parking tickets and charges driving motorists mad

Last week, News Shopper revealed how a firm of clampers were pouncing on drivers in Sidcup, herding them into the wrong parking spaces and hitting them with hundreds of pounds in fines to get their cars back.

But some traffic wardens have also been gripped by madness, fining a disabled pensioner whose blue badge fell off his windscreen and charging a fireman £50 for an offence in one road, even though he claims he was parked somewhere entirely different.

Elsewhere, a group of residents are protesting after the cost of their parking permits was doubled - without them even being told about it.

Retired labourer Paul Clark, 73, of Nurstead Road, Erith, holds a disabled blue badge for his withered leg, allowing him to park on yellow lines.

But after the grandfather-of-seven parked on a single yellow in Mill Road, Erith, he came back minutes later to find a traffic warden punching in his details.

Mr Clark said: “I must have knocked the badge on the floor as I got out.

“I showed him the badge but he said ‘Well, i’ve done it now.’ It didn’t cut any ice.”

The warden then took a snap of Mr Clark as he got back into his car.

Despite an appeal by Mr Clark the £50 fine still stands and could increase to £100 if he does not pay up.

Mr Clark, who lives on a state pension, said: “It made me feel a bit sick. That amount of money is a big deal to me.”

Bexley Council declined to comment saying the case had not been resolved yet.

Fire fighter Chris Bell was shocked to discover a parking ticket after he parked a friend’s car outside his aunt’s house in Iron Mill Lane, Crayford.

The 26-year-old, who claims he was parked completely legally, was hit with a £50 charge, but when he inspected the ticket more closely he noticed it was for an offence in Crayford Road.

The ex-Bexley police officer says he took pictures to prove where he had left the car, but Bexley Council claims it has photographic evidence to the contrary.

But Mr Bell, who plans to go to court over the issue, claims the council’s photograph is not of his vehicle Mr Bell, of Sevenoaks, said: “It’s ridiculous. Their argument is that I was parked on a road I was nowhere near. I didn’t even know where Crayford Road was until this happened.”

A council spokesman said: “Mr Bell has provided undated photographs of the vehicle parked in Iron Mill Lane.

“However the evidence taken by the civil enforcement officer to support the issue of the notice contradicts the evidence provided by Mr Bell.”

Doubling the price of parking permits has been slammed as “highway robbery” by drivers.

Bexley Council has increased the cost of a controlled parking zone permit from £35 to £70 in a bid to save money, claiming the zones cost council tax payers £330,000 a year.

The council says drivers could have read about the increase in News Shopper or on its website. But Belinda Robinson insists residents should have been told by letter and the increase has come as a complete surprise.

She has been collecting signatures from her neighbours on Sandford Road where a zone is in place from 10am to 2pm and says people in nearby Harcourt Road are also up in arms.

Ms Robinson said: “Why couldn’t they have let us know? They were quick enough to put something through my door when they wanted me to vote for them.

“On my road there were only about four people who knew about it.”

She has put her own leaflets through the doors of her neighbours asking for their support. One labelled the increase “disgusting” while another called it “highway robbery”.

The 46-year-old housing support officer has written to MP for Bexleyheath and Crayford David Evennett and is putting in an official complaint to the council.

She said: “It’s so infuriating. I wouldn’t mind but the zone doesn’t make much difference to us anyway - half the time you still can’t park here.

“Now they want to raise the price by 100 per cent. It’s a joke.”