Traffic confusion reigns on match days

INVESTIGATIONS are underway today to find out who owns a stretch of land swamped by the vehicles of football fans every match day.

The verges and pavements by West End Road in Ipswich are popular places for Portman Road audiences, eager to avoid parking on double yellow lines along the actual road.

But the Evening Star can today reveal that until the borough council can establish who owns some of the land, traffic wardens are powerless to issue tickets there.

The problem has emerged since posts marking the boundary between the highway and adjoining land, disappeared.

Traffic wardens can only book cars that are parked illegally on public highways. It is believed the land in question may belong to the Environment Agency.

During Town recent match against Nottingham Forest, cars were lined up all along the pavements and grass verges.

Local resident Geoff Balaam, 62, who suffers from emphysema and has to use a wheelchair to get around, said: "On match days all the cars are parked on the pavement.

"The parked cars leave no space for wheelchair-users to use the pavement. "On the last match day, I was trying to go down West End Road towards London Road in my wheelchair. I was with a friend who uses an electric wheelchair.

"We had to turn back because the cars had not left us any room."

A spokeswoman for Suffolk Police said: "Unfortunately the stakes that used to mark the boundary between the highway and the adjoining land have been removed, but we don't know when or by whom.

"As we don't know where the boundary between the highway and the adjoining land lies, we cannot ticket the cars there. It is a big problem, but we are working to solve it."

A spokeswoman for Ipswich Borough Council added: "The issuing of tickets is a matter for the ticket wardens, however Ipswich Borough Council does urge football fans to use the town's many car parks and park and ride facilities."