A potty parish councillor was so fed up with neighbours parking outside his £500,000 house he painted his own YELLOW LINES to deter motorists.
Cllr Paul Syret, 46, has rebuked hundreds of drivers who dared to park their cars in front of his Cotswold stone terraced house.
So he painted two 10ft-long parking bays outside his home without planning permission in the middle of the night.
Cllr Syrett has refused various requests from Gloucestershire County Council to remove the lines outside his home in Stroud, Glos.
But astonishingly he has now been told they can stay because it would be too expensive to remove them.
Neighbours yesterday expressed outrage at the decision, branding it ”completely unfair”.
Sandie Mills, 42, who has lived opposite Cllr Syrett for four years, said: ”As soon as I moved in he made it clear to me that those spaces belonged to him.
”I took him at his word because he seemed so sure.
”It was only after he painted the yellow lines that I looked into it and was assured by Gloucestershire Highways that they were illegal.
”Parking is very limited on the road and he has his own private parking behind the house so it is unfair that he claims these spaces for himself.”
Another resident Jane Hampshire, 54, a childminder, stormed: ”I was utterly gobsmacked when he painted the lines.
”How is it fair that he is in a moral position on the parish council but breaking the law himself?
”The law is there but no one is upholding it. It is completely unfair.”
Cllr Syrett moved into the property with his wife Helen, 45, in 2003 and was elected a councillor for Woodchester Parish Council in 2008.
Legally, the land immediately in front of his house is included in his title deeds.
But because the land is also a public highway owned by the county council, his legal right of ownership is null and void and the lines are not legally enforceable.
He has defended his decision to paint the parking bays claiming he still had a right to protect his property.
He said: ”The lines in question were marked to denote our private land to secure our parking.
”They have been there since 2007 following discussions with Stroud District Council and Gloucestershire Highways.
”The lines, up until two weeks ago, had not been challenged by the neighbours.”
Chris Riley, Gloucestershire County Council manager for Gloucestershire Highways, said: ”The owner of the house painted these markings himself.
”We have advised him that they are not backed up by any legal order and are not, therefore, enforceable.
”Although these lines are on the public highway, they do not pose a threat to safety in any way and currently, we have no plans to spend taxpayers’ money removing them.”
A spokeswoman added: ”While the land beneath the tarmac may belong to Mr Syrett, the surface is dedicated as highway and is therefore the responsibility of the county council.
”Even though Mr Syrett owns the lands it is still a public highway. Highway rights supersede any others.
”It’s fine for him to paint as many lines as he wants on the road but they are not legally enforceable.
”Neighbours can still park outside his house. We’re not removing the road markings as it could meet a legal challenge which would cost more time and money.”
