A COUNCILLOR has turned road referee and begun issuing yellow cards to rogue drivers who continue to leave their vehicles on grass verges.

Darius Laws received complaints from residents in Cowdray Avenue, Colchester, of a blue van using a grass verge on the south side of the road to near to the Albert roundabout to park on.

When he began investigating the issue, he found no enforcement action could be taken against the vehicle’s owner because, although it is causing a nuisance, it is not parked on double yellow lines and there are no No Parking signs.

But instead of admitting defeat, the Tory created his own yellow card.

The message, which he has called a “Polite notice” was placed on the blue van’s windscreen.

Mr Laws, Conservative councillor for Castle ward, said: “It’s a bit of fun really but there is a serious side to it.

“The grass is very wet and because of the van being parked there, it’s just mud now.

“I’d looked into it and there isn’t a lot that can be done unfortunately and to be honest, I was going to leave it.

“But then I thought, ‘No, what’s happening is ruining a feature of Cowdray Avenue and if we don’t do anything then we could end up with cars parked the whole way along it all day every day’ and no one wants that.”

The notice states: “Polite notice: would you please consider parking elsewhere.

“The maintenance of the verge does cost taxpayers money and it has become unsightly.”

Mr Laws added: “I actually didn’t sign it because I thought maybe it might carry a bit more weight not coming from a councillor.

“I suppose they’ll know who it’s from now, though.”

The councillor added: “I could understand it if it had happened once or twice and the person didn’t know the area but the fact that it’s pretty continuous tells me it’s someone who knows what they’re doing.

“Whether they’re getting the train from there, because it’s close to North Station, or parking and going to work in the town, I don’t know.

“It might even just be a resident doing it and often neighbours don’t like tackle their neighbours, so hopefully if it is that, I can help.”

Mike Lilley (Lab), Colchester councillor responsible for safer communities, which includes some elements of parking, said grass verges in parts of the borough are becoming a free-for-all because no enforcement action can be taken against drivers.

He added: “Unfortunately it is completely unenforceable. The only thing that could be done would be to put up physical barriers to stop people even getting on to verges but this would be so far down the list of priorities.

“This is a problem all over the borough and I can tell you it is every councillor’s bug bear.”

According to the Highway Code, if double yellow lines were added to the road, the verges would be included as an extension of the highway.

Mr Lilley also said the matter would be raised with the North Essex Parking Partnership and Essex County Council.