A Tunstall man has claimed he has been targeted for a parking ticket for parking his vehicle on the pavement when others received no fine.

Westbourne Drive in Tunstall is a narrow residential street and is not wide enough for two cars to pass each other.

On Tuesday, Westbourne Drive resident Gary Wood received a parking ticket for parking on the pavement, under a 62 contravention. A 62 contravention states: "Parked with one or more wheels on any part of an urban road other than the carriageway (footpath parking)"

According to the RAC the law on pavement parking outside London is a grey area. The highway code rule 244 states drivers "MUST NOT park partially or wholly on the pavement in London and should not do so elsewhere unless signs permit it", the key part is should not, which means it is adversary.

Westbourne Drive, Tunstall, is a narrow residential street and is not wide enough for two cars to pass each other (LDRS).

However rule 242 of the same code states "You MUST NOT leave your vehicle or trailer in a dangerous position or where it causes any unnecessary obstruction of the road." Therefore if it was deemed to be causing an unnecessary obstruction the fine is valid.

Gary claimed to have parked his 24 hour recovery vehicle in the same spot on the pavement for the past seven years and nobody has had a problem with it. He also said in the past he has parked the vehicle away from the house but diesel was syphoned.

Due to receiving the fine, he has been forced to move the vehicle onto the road, however due to the narrow street many cars have struggled to get past. During Wednesday afternoon while speaking to Gary outside his house on Westbourne Drive a number of vehicles were forced to reverse down the street, with one individual shouting abuse.

Gary said: "I've phoned them about eight times this morning. They're telling me to appeal against the ticket, which is what normal people do. I'm saying it has been issued incorrectly, I believe I've been singled out against others."

There are concerns that emergency vehicles would not be able to drive past all the cars on the street (LDRS).

During the same Wednesday afternoon 17 other cars were also parked on the pavement and no fines had been issued. With the cars parked on the road and the bins due to be emptied on Thursday the big wagons are going to be unable to pass the parked cars.

Many residents claim that previous access was available to the back of the house for parking until the council removed access. Sharon Evans who has lived on the street for 25 years said: "I've always said this should be made a one way street because you can't get through no matter what. 

"It's a nightmare, to penalise one person is wrong. They should make it one way, or make the pavements narrower. The truck has been there for ages and caused no problem."

Ms Evans said that now all the cars have been forced onto the pavement they are now causing an obstruction as fire engines and ambulances would no longer be able to drive past all the cars on the street.

Residents said around 10 years ago the council offered to drop the kerb if residents want on the condition that they paid for a drive to be installed. However this never materialised and has instead forced residents onto the road and pavement.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council have been approached for comment.

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