Mourners' parking tickets: Measures pledge (From Bury Times)

Mourners' parking tickets: Measures pledge

11:29am Thursday 16th March 2006

• Print
• Email
• Share

MEASURES could soon be introduced to prevent a repeat of an incident which saw up to 15 mourners at a funeral being issued with parking tickets.

Council bosses are considering ways of being given prior warning of events which will put pressure on car parking availability.

Four traffic wardens booked vehicles in a car park at Fairfax Road, Prestwich, as their owners attended a funeral service for Mr Ron Cain at the nearby Our Lady of Grace Church on February 22. His grieving widow Mrs Maureen Cain (74), of Glebelands Road, Prestwich, said the actions of the wardens had caused "terrible distress".

Mourners emerged from a requiem mass to discover wardens issuing the tickets. They refused to stop even when told that the cars belonged to people at the funeral. Bury Council defended the actions of NCP traffic wardens by claiming that many of the cars were parked outside bays and causing an obstruction.

This week, a spokeswoman for Bury Council described the incident as "unfortunate" and added: "Regrettably, even in these circumstances, traffic management regulations still apply.

"The regulations are in place at all times for the health and wellbeing of road and car park users and to safeguard pedestrians.

She added: "The council is considering ways to encourage local facilities or organisations to provide advance notification of events which will cause additional pressure on car parking availability. This will allow us to advise on alternative areas for parking as a pro-active measure."

• Print
• Email
• Share