Boxing Day hunt fans a handed warning (From Wiltshire Times)

Boxing Day hunt fans a handed warning

8:00pm Friday 6th January 2012 in News

Spectators at the Avon Vale Hunt’s Boxing Day meet in Lacock who parked on yellow lines were spared parking fines, instead receiving polite notices from Wiltshire Council.

Some of the event’s crowd of around 4,000 people were issued with the notices for leaving their vehicles where parking restrictions applied, including on the new yellow lines, introduced around Lacock a week before Christmas.

Parking restrictions still operate on Boxing Day. It is understood the village’s car parks were overcrowded by the numbers at the event.

Two officers from Wiltshire Council’s parking department were present and had 50 warning leaflets to issue to those who violated parking restrictions.

The notices read: “Please be aware that the area you have left your vehicle in has parking restrictions in place.

“In future kindly make yourself aware of these restrictions prior to parking. Information can be found on local parking signage and roadside markings and/or information boards.”

Lacock parish councillor Chris Doel said: “The yellow lines were only introduced just before Christmas, so it is just unfortunate that a big event came so quickly afterwards. Although if you have introduced yellow lines, it seems a bit strange not to use them correctly.”

Master of the hunt and Wiltshire councillor Jonathan Seed said: “It was agreed between the parish and Wiltshire Council that in the first instance, whichever event it would be, that warning notices would be put on vehicles, which was the sensible approach.

“This wasn’t decided specifically because the hunt was taking place, it would have happened on whatever Bank Holiday it was.”