Car shifted to paint yellow lines
Workmen pushed a woman's parked car on to double yellow lines to paint underneath it – and then a traffic officer tried to slap her with a ticket.
Lisa Williams had left her car parked legally in a bay in Frederick Street, in Wolverhampton city centre.
But she was stunned when she returned from work just hours later and found the blue Corsa had been moved a few feet forward on to double yellow lines.
As well as painting lines in the former parking bays, she claims the workmen also dented her car in the move, which will cost around £200 to put right.
Staff from Origin Media, which overlooks the street, watched on in disbelief as the men lifted the car up from the back and rolled it forward.
They took photographs and then raced from their offices to stop a police community support officer who was preparing to issue a parking ticket.
Office worker Lisa, from Bewdley, said: "I used to park there every morning. The rest of the road was painted with double yellow lines but there was a bay for two cars to park. There were no cones or signs saying they were going to paint lines.
"When I got back to my car I noticed it wasn't in the same place and they had painted double yellow lines where I had been parked."
The 32-year-old added: "There was an envelope on my windscreen which I assumed was a parking ticket. But when I opened it, it was a note from girls in an office nearby who had seen what had happened.
"They saw them just pick my car up at the back two corners and wheel it forward. I just can't believe it. I am so angry." A worker from Origin Media said: "We were just so shocked."
Wolverhampton City Council spokesman Tim Clark said: "The council is taking this allegation extremely seriously and an investigation has been launched.
"The people painting were external contractors and not council employees. Under no circumstances would the council instruct its contractors to move people's vehicles without their consent."
By Victoria Nash
