Vigilante wardens put nails on road to stop parents parking
Vigilante ‘wardens’ are spreading nails on a Black Country road to stop parents parking their cars there while they watch their children play football.
Some 1,500 tacks – which could puncture car tyres – have been cleared from Benjamin Drive in Homer Hill Park, Halesowen, a local councillor has said.
Councillor Richard Body told a meeting of Dudley Council of the bizarre, repeated acts of attempted vandalism during a discussion about the future of the park which is based next to the Lime Gardens retirement village.
Saying the road through the park was only the access to the residential centre, he said parents often blocked the route and also parked on pathways.
He added: “Because we have a lots of children, both boys and girls teams, they all want to watch by getting as close as they can.
"This causes mayhem on a road which is only two-way in parts.
“This has lead to a person or persons sprinkling nails down the edge of the road, and there is an elderly gentleman who contacts me nearly every day to let me know how many nails he has picked up.
“I would say we are into now one and half thousands nails, because it’s been going on for such a long time, and they are all the same particular type of nail.”
Asked if he knew who was responsible he said: “I can only summarise that is a resident.”
Homer Hill Park is home to the Netherton Colts Football Club and Councillor Body added that during school holidays and weekends, Benjamin Drive and surrounding roads were ‘packed’.
“We need more parking,” the councillor added.
Council officers told the meeting the authority had taken steps to reduce congestion in the area but it was limited in what it could do.
By George Makin, Local Democracy Reporter
