Parking row explodes as resident protesting new double yellow lines is ‘rammed’ by council worker
A driving instructor was rammed with a line-painting machine by a council worker after protesting against new double yellow lines being painted outside her home in Belvedere, south east London.
CCTV footage shows Monika D’Agate standing in front of the contractor’s machine before he repeatedly drives it into her foot during the confrontation.
The mother-of-one had organised a petition with neighbours opposing Bexley Council’s plans to add parking restrictions to their street.
D’Agate claims the council only informed three residents about the planned restrictions, with just a single notice placed on a lamppost.
“All of my neighbours are outraged that this has happened and that the council has gone against the peoples wishes,” she told the News Shopper.
The Polish-born resident, who has lived in the area for 32 years, gathered 90 signatures opposing the plans.
Despite submitting the petition on Monday, council workers arrived by Thursday to paint the lines “in the middle of the day”.
D’Agate said: “Eventually I moved away because he was crushing my shoe. He then finished painting the lines.”
“We think we don’t live in a democracy we live in a dictatorship.”
Bexley Council condemned the incident, with a spokesperson stating the “use of force” by the contractor was “unacceptable”.
The council said they were “addressing this matter directly with the contractor involved to ensure appropriate standards of behaviour are upheld”.
They defended the new restrictions, saying they were introduced to “improve road safety by reinforcing the Highway Code’s requirements to keep junctions clear of parked vehicles”.
The council maintained the proposal was properly advertised through “legally required channels, including on-street notices and local press announcements”.
D’Agate is urging the council to remove the double yellow lines and properly consult residents about future plans.
“People are not listened to at all, and the council does whatever it wants without actually informing people about its proposals,” she said.