Fury over van abandoned for months and littered with parking fines

The van on Lagos Street has been a constant source of irritation for the nearby shop owner who has been trying to get it removed since it first arrived over six months ago. 

He claims he saw three men park the van outside his convenience store, and then run off, leaving it there. 

A very thick and damp envelope full of parking tickets left on the abandoned van in Lagos Street by Swindon Borough Council parking enforcement officers (Image: Newsquest)

Since then, the van has become known to Swindon Borough Council as it has racked up over 30 parking tickets over the last few months. 

So many, in fact, that someone had to collect them all and put them inside an envelope.

Shamsuddoha Chowdhury, from the nearby Baraka Groceries, said: "I've tried several departments to get the van removed I've emailed the council, I've contacted several councillors and also the police, nothing really worked.

"I saw three men park it outside and run off one morning, it was in the way with the rear of the van sticking out into Corporation Street, so I had to call the police and we pushed it to where it is now."

The abandoned van on Lagos Street, Swindon, that has racked up easily over 30 parking tickets in six months (Image: Newsquest)

A resident who lives nearby also spoke of his frustration. 

"We just wanted it moved, but Swindon Borough Council kept just coming and slapping tickets on it. What was the point? They were never getting any money for it.

"The system's rubbish, it's unbelievable that this van had clearly been abandoned but it has been allowed to sit there all this time."

The van now has a destruction notice on it, saying that it will be removed and destroyed after fifteen days.

It isn't locked, has a flat tyre, and advertises a business - Elegant Homes Fire Places - that no longer seems to exist. 

The abandoned van on Lagos Street with Mr Shamsuddoha Chowdhury's shop in the background (Image: Newsquest)

The envelope of parking tickets had been exposed to the elements and had become a big soggy clump of paper, another pile of parking tickets had been started next to it. 

The council says that the vehicle was still MOT and taxed until recently, so only now have they been able to do something. 

Councillor Kevin Parry, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for waste collection and disposal & highways maintenance, said: “The van, in this case, was left parked with a valid MOT and was fully taxed, so our parking enforcement officers continued to issue tickets because it was parked illegally.

“As soon as the tax and MOT expired, the vehicle was classed as abandoned and we are now taking steps to remove it.”