Driver left fuming after ‘spiteful’ parking warden GLUES fine onto her car’s windscreen
A DRIVER was left fuming after a council employee GLUED a parking warning onto her car's windscreen.
Danielle Robberts, a 28-year-old mum and part-time cleaner, parked her car overnight in Dawlish, Devon, on Tuesday evening.
She parked in The Manor - a Georgian building owned by the Dawlish Town Council hired out for wedding ceremonies and wedding receptions.
Motorists who are not using the venue are prohibited from using the Manor’s carpark.
'MANY RESIDENTS DO THE SAME'
Robberts acknowledged that she should not have parked there but said that it was hard to find parking spaces in the area were not on double yellow lines.
She said: “I never use the car park when there is a function going on or clearly quite busy.
“It is only when I can’t find a space anywhere else close by, as we as residents have huge difficulty finding parking around there. Many other residents do the same.
“I had driven around looking and when couldn't find one and as it was around 6pm decided that it would be okay to put it there just overnight as myself and my son were going home anyway for the evening.
"I knew the gates would be getting shut at around 7pm.”
At 10.30am on Wednesday, Robberts returned to the Manor House to retrieve her car.
She normally moved her car before then but was running late with her son.
When she returned to it she saw that a parking notice had been stuck onto her windscreen with a strong glue.
When Robberts tried to remove the notice, the paper ripped and left a thick layer of dried glue on the driver’s side.
'BLOCKED'
Upset Robberts went into the Manor House reception and asked to see the person responsible.
She said: “I asked why they didn’t just put it under my windscreen wiper and their excuse was to prove a point as I have parked there a few times.
"I couldn’t just remove it and not take it seriously.”
Robberts also alleged that a member of staff tried to block her car by parking behind it.
She continued: “He said when he got there at 9am there was no other spaces and he could have parked where my car was if I hadn't been parked there.
“I was told by a witness that wasn't the case because there were loads of spaces at 9am.
“They saw him park there and said that he was doing it to prove a point that my car shouldn't be parked there, so it was basically out of spite.”
As a part-time cleaner Robberts already had several cleaning materials to hand and was able to scrub some of the glue off with an ice scraper.
But there was still some gunk left afterwards.
She added: “There is still some left which will need a stronger chemical to get the last of it off.”
My point is how they dealt with it by damaging my windscreen and the utter spiteful actions of them
Danielle Robberts
Robberts contacted the police, who said the glued notice could not be classed as criminal damage as the windscreen was not cracked.
But the incident was still logged.
She added: “I would like it made clear that I am aware that If I didn't park there it wouldn't have happened but my point is how they dealt with it by damaging my windscreen and the utter spiteful actions of them."
In 2010 residents lobbied for the Manor House to remain available for community use.
Although the councillors were sympathetic, Dawlish Town Council eventually ruled that the car park should only be accessed by authorised users in 2013.
But many residents continue to use the Manor House car park.
A spokesperson for Dawlish Town Council said “Over recent months the Manor House Car Park has been increasingly used by a small number of residents who are not hiring or participating in activities at the Manor House or Riverside Centre.
“These cars have been issued with repeated notices under their windscreen wipers advising them not to use the car park for private use.
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"Cars have occasionally been locked in behind the gates as a result. The same vehicles continued to park in the area.
“Yesterday, reluctantly a washable water-based adhesive was used to affix a notice to a car (which has been parked on numerous occasions whilst not using the building) which had already received several non-affixed notices under their windscreen wipers.
“In addition, there was a shortage of spaces due to bookings in the building, and as a result a member of staff parked their car in front of the container and partially blocked the vehicle’s exit from the space.
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