Council condemns mystery yellow line painter

Richard Madden & Jess Sherrington
BBC News
BBC A picture of two yellow lines which have been spray-painted onto a road to look like official road markings. The lines are wobbly and irregular in length. A car is just visible in the top right corner of the image along with a footpath on the left.BBC
East Riding of Yorkshire Council said the painted lines could lead to confusion and cause potential accidents

A mystery painter who has daubed yellow lines on a residential street could be putting safety at risk, the council has said.

The spray-painted squiggles have appeared in Cave Road in Brough, East Yorkshire, close to the railway station.

Residents said commuters using the station have created problems with traffic and can make getting to their properties difficult.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council said the lines were illegal and strongly condemned the action.

Another image of spray-painted yellow lines taken from road level. Three orange traffic cones have been placed along the lines which border a pavement.
The lines have been spray painted on a residential street close to the town's railway station

The authority said: "We strongly condemn this action, which is illegal, and could pose a safety risk as it could lead to confusion and potential accidents.

"We are aware of concerns raised by residents regarding parking and are committed to ensuring that parking arrangements meet the need of both commuters and local residents.

"Following the opening of additional parking on Skillings Lane, we are reviewing the situation."

Residents living close to the station and the newly painted lines were critical about the level of traffic in the town.

Jason Russell, 36, said his property had been affected by passengers parking outside and claimed warning notices were often "ignored".

He added: "They (whoever has painted the lines) have obviously tried to replicate real lines but people don't take notice of signs, so they won't take notice of a few squiggles.

"It's a nice idea but it won't work."

A composite image of two men who live in Brough. Jason, on the left of the image, is wearing a black baseball cap, sunglasses and a grey t-shirt. Mark, on the right of the image, has short grey hair and is wearing a red t-shirt.
Jason Russell, left, and Mark Langton, who both live in the area, were sceptical about whether the new lines would solve the parking problem

Other people called for the station car park to be expanded to stop vehicles from being parked on neighbouring streets.

David Roberts, 65, said the lines showed the level of frustration felt by many in the town.

"People get territorial about things. It's imaginative, creative, I can't condone it but I understand why they've done it. They're obviously sick of people parking there," he added.

But Mark Langton, 58, said he was concerned about the impact the lines would have on safety, adding: "You can't take it on yourself. If it causes an accident, who is responsible?"

Transpennine Express, the operator of Brough Station, said it recognised the site was busy and availability could be limited during peak times.

Commercial director Darren Higgin said: "We're currently exploring potential opportunities to enhance parking capacity.

"However, options are limited due to the lack of available land."

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