Procedures to be reviewed after complaints that owner wasn't informed
Ealing Council has apologised to a local resident after moving her car without telling her.
The woman had parked her Fiesta in a road close to her home in W13 but four days later was shocked to find it missing.
After initially calling the police - suspecting it had been stolen - she was told to ring the Trace line - which deals with the removal of illegally parked cars for local authorities.
The car (which had a permit and wasn't illegally parked) had been moved to the adjacent Culmington Road.
The council say the parking bay in Dane Road had been suspended for a day to allow access to a removal van.The Fiesta had been parked before the suspension came into force.
The owner complained to the council about not being kept informed and has received an apology from the parking services department.
The letter acknowledges problems with the current procedure - Mr Clarke from parking services says:
''In light of the comments you have made I have asked that the process followed when relocating a vehicle be reviewed to confirm if any changes can be made to try and contact drivers if valid permits were displayed on the vehicle, as in this case.
''I have also asked the Manager of the Civil Enforcement Officers to ensure that when a vehicle is relocated that the new location is clearly recorded so anyone contacting TRACE will be given a more precise location for their vehicle. Hopefully this review and any changes to procedures will ensure that this situation is avoided in future.
I apologise for any inconvenience this incident may have caused and will ensure that the issues you raise are taken on board to avoid any future repetition.''
January 6th, 2010
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