A mum-of-two has been left fuming after suspected holidaymakers left their car on her driveway, with no help from the police to remove it.
Debbie Flynn and her partner Leon were shocked to find the silver Vauxhall Mokka next to her garage on Outmore Road, Garrett's Green, Birmingham Live reports. Debbie called the police thinking the car could be recovered, but she was left baffled when told by police that they did not have the power to remove it.
Police told her that because the car was not stolen then the matter was civil, rather than criminal. She believes that the car belongs to holidaymakers who have travelled to Birmingham International Airport, which is within five miles of her home.
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Debbie said: "It's like the car just dropped out of the sky. It's a complete mystery. We don't understand how or why this has happened but as the owner hasn't returned all week, we suspect it's due to someone selling a space on my drive close to the airport.
"We went to bed about 10.30pm on Tuesday night (April 12) and when my partner woke the next morning, it was parked on our drive," added Debbie. "The cheeky g*ts opened my gate and parked it and shut the gates after leaving it on the grass.
"The police officer who came to see us said he had never seen anything like this in all his years. I am fuming because there is no law to stop anyone parking on your drive. It's totally legal so the police can't help. Yet if we try and move it and damage it, then we would have committed a criminal offence. The kids can't even play outside on the drive now, in case they kick a ball or something and accidentally damage it."
Parking across a person's driveway is technically classed as trespass, which is a civil matter rather than criminal as a driveway is part of a property, explained John Charnock, of Stress Free Car Rental. He also said that if a car has up-to-date MOT, tax, insurance and is not a danger to anyone around, the council is also powerless to move it.
Debbie has put out an appeal on Facebook but no-one has come forward. She has chained up the tyre so she can speak to the driver whenever they return.
It is not the first time that homeowners have had to take parking matters into their own hands. Neil Junglas, 36, from Hunts Cross wrapped a silver Skoda in cling film in September 2017 that had been outside his house for two days.
'Selfish' drivers were also slammed for parking illegally on residential roads near Liverpool Airport. Drivers were reported to be causing noise and rubbish problems, with some residents having witnessed people urinating in private gardens.
