On a residential road near Liverpool Airport, people say they are living in a nightmare.
Hale Road in Speke is being used as a "back door" for people travelling to and from Liverpool John Lennon Airport who wish to avoid the airport's car parking charges. But with cars and "illegal taxis" pulling up at all hours to drop people off, blasting out music and even urinating on people's driveways, residents have had enough.
The road has become inundated with cars parking illegally across people's driveways, blocking the public footpath and on the central reservation. According to those that live there, cars are often being left for weeks on end while people jet away on holiday, during which time they are causing an obstruction.
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The ECHO previously reported on some of the problems on Hale Road earlier this year, which residents feared was an accident waiting to happen. Liverpool City Council told the ECHO at the time that highways officers would be sent out to monitor the situation.
Ryanair stewardess Cinzia Ceravolo, 36, died after being hit by a Ford Focus on Hale Road at the junction with Liverpool John Lennon Airport on Monday, August 22.
Italian national Cinzia was taken to hospital with serious head injuries shortly before midnight on Monday, and sadly died on Friday, August 26. The driver of the car, a 30-year-old man from Speke, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and drug driving. He has since been released under investigation.
"It's a back door into the airport and it's very dangerous"
Kevin Vaughan, 44, who has lived on Hale Road for the last eight years, said it's not the first time a serious crash has happened there. Speaking to the ECHO following this week's incident, Kevin said: "It's a major problem road. It needs policing properly.
"They all park outside here and walk across to the airport. It's a black spot. They shouldn't allow people to be parking on here.
"I actually had to be cut out of a car once because someone turned in front of me after they'd picked up from the airport."
Under the airport's current car parking charges it costs £4 for someone to park directly opposite the terminal for up to ten minutes, with this rising to £10 for 20 minutes and £25 for up to an hour.
However, Liverpool Airport said there is also a free drop-off point which is "closer to the terminal than where cars are currently parking on Hale Road and other surrounding roads." The drop off point is free for up to 40 minutes, increasing to £8 for an hour.
Alan Brown, 73, who has lived on Hale Road for the last 31 years, said: "It's a back door into the airport and it's very dangerous. We have complained to the council saying there's going to be an accident here.
"It's like a race track with cars whizzing along here."
When the ECHO visited the area this week, cars were parked on double yellow lines and on the central reservation, while another was parked blocking the pavement with four flat tyres. Alan said he has contacted Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police a number of times over the years about the problems but little has been done to resolve them.
Alan said: "The police have said they can't do anything and when you contact the council they say it's a police matter."
Liverpool City Council told the ECHO there will be a site visit to Hale Road with Merseyside Police following the crash to determine whether highways improvements are needed.
A council spokesperson said: "There are extensive sections of road in the area where waiting restrictions prohibit parking which the council regularly enforces, similarly enforcement regularly takes place around taxis parking."
The council said it will also "engage with the airport on the issues that have been raised."
Alan and Kevin said taxis regularly pick up passengers illegally on Hale Road and cram too many people into one vehicle. Alan said: "They're vans with nine seats and there's 15 people getting out of the van, and 4 or 5 of them might be children.
"They can't have child seats. It's the same vans all the time. They drop people here and they take them over to the airport."
Kevin added: "It's illegal what they're doing, they're illegal taxis. They're cherry picking passengers.
It's down to the airport, the council and the police to sort it out."
Liverpool City Council said compliance checks are carried out on taxis are part of Operation Jet to ensure that they have a booking and that they are carrying the number of allowed passengers.
"We live a nightmare here"
People dumping rubbish was also reported to be a problem on Hale Road, with residents finding bottles of urine on their driveway, dirty nappies and condoms. Pam, 61, who asked to be referred to by her first name, has lived on Hale Road for 29 years.
She told the ECHO: "This road is a nightmare. If you go out you're lucky to get your car back on your drive.
"The music, you hear 'bang, bang' - this will be at 11pm or midnight. They've got no respect at all. The rubbish they throw out of cars, they wee in bottles. We live a nightmare here."
Josephine Hesketh, 76, said: "We get no peace here. They come with their music blasting, it's twenty to one in the morning sometimes. Nobody is doing anything."
Josephine said people have asked her husband why they bought a house near Liverpool Airport, but when they first moved in 40 years ago that part of the airport didn't exist.
Josephine added: "It was just woods when I moved here, the airport was down the other end then."
What Liverpool Airport and Liverpool Council had to say
A spokesperson for Liverpool City Council said: “We cannot comment on the collision due to the ongoing police investigation but we can confirm that there will be a site visit with Merseyside Police to determine whether highways improvements are needed and the last three years of collision data for the area will also be reviewed.
“There are extensive sections of road in the area where waiting restrictions prohibit parking which the council regularly enforces, similarly enforcement regularly takes place around taxis parking. We also run action as part of Operation Jet where compliance checks on taxis are conducted to ensure that they have a booking and that they are carrying the number of allowed passengers.
“However, if vehicles are parked, not causing an obstruction or contravening any waiting restrictions and are taxed, MOT’d and insured this would not be classed as an offence but we will engage with the airport on the issues that have been raised.”
A Liverpool John Lennon Airport spokesperson said: “We were naturally saddened to hear of the accident that occurred close to the airport earlier this week and no doubt there will be an investigation in to the causes. The airport is also concerned about vehicles parking outside local resident’s homes on roads close to the airport and have previously discussed this issue with the City Council and local councillors to explore ways to improve the situation.
"Unfortunately as these are public roads outside of the Airport, we have no control over such parking issues. However we continue to provide a parking facility with up to 40 minutes free parking, which is closer to the terminal than where cars are currently parking on Hale Road and other surrounding roads, so it is frustrating if these drivers are parking here simply to avoid paying car parking charges on site at the airport. We are looking in to installing further signage in the area to highlight this free parking facility.”
The ECHO approached Merseyside Police for comment.
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