Cornwall Council subcontractors admit double yellow lines lie
- Published
The Reliant Robin was left parked on a street while Martin Dodbridge went on holiday abroad
Council contractors have admitted lying about moving a man's car so they could paint double yellow lines underneath it while he was on holiday.
Martin Dodbridge returned home to Penryn, Cornwall to find four parking tickets on his Reliant Robin.
Initially Cormac, owned by Cornwall Council, said its contractors told them they had not moved the vehicle.
However, faced with new evidence showing matching tyre print on the fresh lines, they have now admitted it.
Cornwall Council said it was "extremely disappointed at the subcontractor's actions which have wasted taxpayers' money".
It has cancelled the parking fines and said it would apologise personally to Mr Dodbridge.
Mr Dodbridge said: "I feel relieved they have come right.
"I knew all along what had happened, but I still have no answers as to how they moved it."
He added he was concerned some damage may have been done to the three-wheeled vehicle while he was abroad, and described the situation as "ongoing".
Tread marks in the yellow lines matched Mr Dodbridge's tyres
A spokesman for Cormac said: "We presented our subcontractors with the photos.
"Despite previous assurances to the contrary, the pictures appeared to confirm that the car was rolled back at some point while the lining was still fresh."
It added that after an investigation, "the crew has now admitted that the car was indeed moved by them to allow them to complete the lining process.
"We are extremely disappointed with their actions and their initial reluctance to take responsibility."
Cormac said its policy remained that "no vehicles should be moved without the owner's permission" and that the matter would be "dealt with internally".