Letter: Why have police ignored situation?

Wednesday 6th January 2010, 9:11AM GMT.

police-car-lights1Why is it that when you report a driver parked on the pavement or on a very bad bend in Trench it is just ignored by the police?

I did that on December 29, and the van was still parked there two days later. I was promised by Wellington police that it would be sorted out December 30.

I have went to Telford Town Centre. When I asked a young police officer who was booking people parked on double yellow lines why Trench was not patrolled, I was asked whether the cars had four wheels on the pavements. I told him nine times out of 10 they were but what difference does that make?

He told me there were signs put up on the street lamps but there are not.

Does anyone know since when can a motorist park on a footpath legally using two wheels and not illegally with four? I gave the police a chance to sort this illegal parking in Trench but now I have no choice but to write an official complaint to the complaints department in West Mercia Headquarters.

D Evans

Trench


  1. 1
    Shropsman

    Ha – not too long ago, the police were being vilified for doing exactly that, turning up at the other end of Trench, after weeks of giving warnings, and putting parking tickets on cars blocking the road, and entrance to industrial and residential areas near to the motor auctions – what a difference a couple of hundred metres must make !!!!

    There is a poice station at Donnington Mr Evans and I believe your local police officers are based there – have a look on the West Mercia Police website, see who your local police officer is, and get him on the case (although if it is such a problem, surely he should already be dealing with it …???)

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  2. 2
    Colin

    In answer to the question “Why have police ignored situation?”, I hope that the answer is that “they’ve got better things to do”. I admit that parking on a bend is foolish and can be dangerous, but is it really worth writing an official complaint? Why not try politely asking the owner of the vehicle to move it?

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  3. 3
    Andrew finch

    No chance as Jack straw said they are sat in he warm , and as the weather is now a little nippy you have more chance of seeing a yeti……Only joking but couldnt help it.Mind you we have plenty of cso get them out havent seen many of them since the snow started.

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  4. 4
    david

    Get a life Mr Evans. Surely the police have so many other things to do in the Telford area without having people making complaints about them over trivia.
    What is the world coming to when your bee in your bonnet has taken over your attention to such a degree that you would actually make an official complaint about a plice officer and try to get him disciplined, maybe even lose his job because he does not rush down to do yuour bidding. The police are already struggling under massive beaurocracy and pressure from on high to do the best they can to deal witgh the most serious issues in some sort of order of priority. They do not need this official complaint against police nonsense added to their work load and personal stresses. What a joke.

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  5. 5
    Charlie Drake

    Grow Up!!!

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  6. 6
    Stan Still

    The simple answer is that parking enforcement is no longer the responsibility of the police.

    Mr, Ms or Mrs Evans should contact Telford & Wrekin council and ask them what THEY are going to do about it, rather than waste a stamp on writing to West Mercia Police.

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  7. 7
    Steve Smith

    Why not try going in and talking to the police officers at Donnington Police Station or the local beat officer before jumping on the phone to the complaints department. With all of the reported assaults, burglaries, thefts and serious incidents that occurred, it’s a bit optimistic to expect a police officer to be able to respond to your complaint after just two days. I think common sense needs to prevail here.

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  8. 8
    Julia Spinecord

    Obviously this person has got nothing better to do with their time!! Come on, get a life & stop whining about it. The police are far too under staffed and paid and I think they’re doing a great job as it is.

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  9. 9
    Lucy W

    Welcome to the Modern Police Force.

    The reason they ignore the situation is so that they don’t have to do anything. I hope that answers the question.

    By the way, I understand that it is illegal to park with any wheel on the pavement, let alone all four, (or three for Reliant owners).

    I see the letter writer has made an official complaint to the police. The police investigating themselves? Hmmmmmm? I think I can guess the outcome.

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  10. 10
    Andrew finch

    Well having read the comments above an offence is an offence and should be dealt with. As I have said they have a massive force now with regards staff “pcso” so if we must have these people ie policing on the cheap staff, please put them to work and use them get them or get rid and employ police officers

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  11. 11
    Lucy W

    Sorry, but to everyone that thinks this is trivial, its not. Its the thin end of the wedge.

    The Krays first offence was a parking ticket!!!!

    Do the police want Telford taken over by a home-grown Maffia? Because if not, this illegal parking needs stamping out for it spreads to the heinous crime of serial litter dropping and dog pavement fouling.

    If the police can’t cope with parking offences, then that might explain the low conviction rate for rape!

    However, you may find that some of these illegally parked cars actully belong to police officers, which my be a more likely explaination.

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  12. 12
    Lucy W

    Julia, glad you are pleased with the police. Have you ever been a victim of crime?

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  13. 13
    Suellan Fowler

    It’s not serious offence but the parking on Trench Road is a problem – trying to pull out of Horton Road into Trench road is an accident waiting to happen due to the blind bend and cars parked opposite the junction at the garage – you have to pull into the road slowly to see who’s coming round the blind spot and then swing back in quick to avoid hitting the cars parked in front of the garage on the road – the matter of illegal parking in this area does need addressing (isn’t parking across a junction illegal?)

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  14. 14
    G Wynne

    On reading your comments on other stories Lucy, would I be right in saying that your viewpoint is not exactly objective? It certainly sounds a little bit like you have had a bad experience and are lashing out at the police. I have had nothing but good experience, and I find they are often vilified by those with an agenda. And yes I have been a victim of crime.

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  15. 15
    Lucy W

    Oh i hate moaners, unless they are in my club!

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  16. 16
    Charlie Drake

    Good old Lucy W. Never misses an opportunity to slag off the Police does she? I wonder what they did to her in the past?

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  17. 17
    Lorna M

    Lucy sounds like a bitter old lady who just loves to moan, maybe she should try being a police officer? Lets see if she can do a better job…

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  18. 18
    Lord Crocker

    Unless there are double yellow lines it is not an offence to park on the footway!

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  19. 19
    matt2

    simple : take a picture of the crime and make a citizens arrest

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  20. 20
    Shropshire Lad

    Oerhaps the slaggers of the Police should read their papers instead of complaining, who do they think are dealing/assiting with …
    1.Festive season druken behaviour.
    2.Big Freeze
    3 Expolosion
    4 Murder in Shrewsbury
    5 Death at Newport.

    This is on top of everything else going on around the County at this very busy time.

    Keyboard warriors eh ? nice in the warm isn’t it !!!

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  21. 21
    D EVANS

    YES I AM THE ONE THAT WROTE ABOUT THE ILLEGAL PARKING.FOR A START THESE VEHCLES HAVE BEEN PARKING ON THE PAVEMENT,TO CLOSE TO A ROAD JUNCTION,FACEING THE WRONG WAY AFTER DARK,PARKING ON A WHEELCHAIR RAMP,AND PARKING ON A BAD BEND,WHERE MOTHERS CROSS WITH CHILDREN GOING TO SCHOOL AND SNOW AND ICE COVERS THE ROAD. THE CSO CAN ONLY PUT OUT WARNING TICKETS.THE NCO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS FOR A LONG TIME.PERHAPS THE WRITERS THAT DISAGREE WITH ME WOULD LIKE TO DRIVE THEIR CARS DOWN THIS ICED HILL AND MEET ANOTHER CAR COMING UP WHILE THEY ARE OVERTAKING THE PARKED CARS.OR TRY AND GET THE CHILDREN ACROSS THIS ROAD.

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  22. 22
    John

    Its a small inconvenience many people live with in many communities. Maybe the police were assisting the residents in Trench who had bricks thrown through their windows or collecting evidence on the names that are regularly linked with various local a real crime.

    Why didn’t D Evans just speak with the owner of the vehicle, you’ve just got a bee in your bonnet over nothing.

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  23. 23
    Matt

    Yes. Parking on the pavement is trivial. Just ask the old lady who struggled to push her husband in his wheelchair passed a car parked on the pavement. Or a young mum who had to take her pushchair on the road, round someone who was parked on the pavement.

    And I’ll be you moaners would get a real laugh about the person who parked his car on the part of the pavement with the dropped kerb, thus stopping wheelchair users from safely crossing the road.

    But in your world the disabled and mums with pushchairs do not count, do they?

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  24. 24
    D EVANS

    WHAT ARE YOU ON ABOUT CROCKER, OF COURSE IT IS ILLEGAL TO PARK ON ANY FOOTWAY. WHAT HIGHWAY CODE DID YOU READ IN SCHOOL.TRY IT AND SEE WHAT HAPENES WHEN THERE IS A POLICE OFFICER ABOUT.

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  25. 25
    screemer

    D Evans, in your reply 21 you say ” parking on a bad bend, where mothers cross with there children going to school “. If i was you, i wouldn’t worry bout the cars, i would have a word with the mothers and tell them you shouldn’t cross the road on a bend.

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  26. 26
    winja

    Mr Evans,

    1. Turn your Caps Lock button off (pressing it is free of charge), as your comments come across as obnoxious.

    2. Section 244 of the HC does indeed state that one “must not” park “partially or wholly” on a pavement. This is only in London, though. Elsewhere, it states that one “should not” park on a pavement, which is advisory.

    On roads adjacent to myself, it is good that this is advisory as, if everyone on both sides of the road did not park partially on the (wide) pavement, then there would be no room for buses to get through. And, yes, there are regular Police foot patrols in my area and none of the cars parked partially on the footway get ticketed.

    On another point, Evans, I suspect that most – if not all – people did not read the HC at school. No point you see, as one needs to be 17 before commencing driving lessons.

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  27. 27
    Scott B

    D Evans, It sounds to me that you just like the sound of your own voice far too much. Quit your whining and just get on with your life. A lot worse things happen then people parking on the foot paths. End of.

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