Councillor gets to keep the parking bays he painted himself

A parish councillor who painted his own set of yellow lines outside his Gloucestershire home to deter other motorists from parking there will be allowed to keep his handiwork after the council deemed the cost of removing them a waste of money.

Paul Syrett, an IT director, took matters into his own hands in an effort to secure parking places outside of his home. The 46-year-old marked out two parking bays with bright yellow paint on a residential road in Stroud.

Mr Syrett had already told neighbours that he owned the land directly in front of his house, and the lines merely denote the extent of his property according to the title deeds. As an elected member of the Woodchester Parish Council, Mr Syrett ought have a working knowledge of such matters – he sits on the planning committee.