Woman stuck outside home for over an hour after student parks across driveway

06 October 2023 , 08:40

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Gail Roberts was stuck outside her home for more than an hour because of a student parking outside (Image: Derby Telegraph/BPM Media)

A woman living with MS was trapped outside her home after a student left her car blocking her driveway.

Gail Roberts from Derby said she was unable to get inside for more than an hour as a result of the parking outside her home near to the city's university campus. Despite the road having been marked as 'access only', Mrs Roberts said the lack of yellow lines meant it regularly becomes a popular parking spot for students.

Mrs Roberts told Derbyshire Live the incidents were now a weekly occurrence and her anger reached boiling point when she was unable to get into her home after coming home from church, leading to a heated exchange with the student when she finally returned to her vehicle.

"I'm bordering between exploding and bursting into tears," she said. "It's very unfair. The students are contravening regulations by parking here. It's just ridiculous. This year it's just worse than ever. No-one seems interested in helping. What do I do?"

Gail said the parking issue was becoming increasingly frustrating (Derby Telegraph/BPM Media)

Many properties along the road have been boarded up following a compulsory purchase scheme aimed at redesigning the nearby A38. However, Mrs Roberts and her husband continue to reside in their home of 12 years.

'I'm in a 10-year parking row with my neighbour - I know she's acting illegally'

But Mrs Roberts has been facing an ongoing issue with students parking their cars in front of her driveway, making it impossible for her to park her own car. The problem has escalated since the neighbouring houses were sold off. Just this week, both her carer and mother had to leave due to lack of parking space, she claimed.

One recent incident saw her left her house at 9.30am, only to find a white Audi blocking her driveway upon her return at 11am. Previously, she was able to manoeuvre around such obstructions by driving onto the grass verge, but this time it was not possible.

In response, she parked her car behind the obstructing vehicle, effectively blocking the road. This led to a confrontation with a student who had to drive on the grass verge by the A38 to bypass the blockade. Mrs Roberts says she has already reached out to local police, the council, and even Highways England seeking a resolution to this issue.

She said she was concerned that such incidents could potentially cause her to miss important appointments, like her physiotherapy session at the hospital. Fortunately, the owner of the obstructing car arrived around 12.15pm.

The student apologised, claiming she had not seen the access-only sign and assumed the houses were vacant. She also mentioned that a friend had recommended the spot as a parking area. After waiting for over an hour, Mrs Roberts was finally able to park her car when the student moved hers. However, Mrs Roberts believes that the issue will persist until those responsible are penalised.

She expressed her concern, stating: "I've not complained before but it's getting to the point now where it may impinge on my health. These cars need to be ticketed and the students need to be told that this isn't acceptable."

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Susie Beever