RESIDENTS are being slapped with fines for parking over a bus stop... even though vehicles haven’t stopped there for almost half a decade.

The service which used the stop, in Monkwick Avenue, Colchester, was withdrawn more than four-years-ago.

However, despite their bus service being long gone, residents of the street are still being handed fixed penalty notices if they are caught parking where the stop was operational.

Ward councillor Dave Harris (Lab, Berechuch) has called for “a bit of common sense” from the North Essex Parking Partnership, which manages parking in Colchester and has been dishing out the fines.

He said: “I am absolutely livid about it.

“I have residents contact me to say they’ve received tickets and I have to help them appeal it. The parking wardens who patrol the area know the bus stop isn’t in use, the problem is the ANPR cameras.

“They pick up the number plates when they drive past and take photos of cars parked there.

“They need to get their act together and it needs to be taken off the system.

"The bus service was withdrawn between four and five years ago.

“They have even burned away the yellow markings in the road which used to be there for the bus stop."

Mr Harris added: “There could be people who have just paid the fine without questioning it, which is disgraceful.”

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Although the road markings showing the bus stop have been removed, its signs remain in place.

A spokesperson for the North Essex Parking Partnership said the parking restrictions were still valid despite the fact buses no longer used the stop.

They said: “Stopping regulations operate independently of bus services and as long as any road markings prohibiting parking remain, the North Essex Parking Partnership may patrol them. Even though one bus operator may have ceased using the route, another operator could choose to run a service at any time.

"It is expensive to remove infrastructure that might be needed again in the future.

"If motorists want the bus stop removed, they should petition the appropriate authority, in this case Essex County Council.”