A FURIOUS couple were driven round the bend by this atrocious piece of parking.

Mick Winter, 60, of Kendall Road, Colchester, planned to drive to work on Friday at 7.30am - only to find a Peugeot 306 blocking his drive.

The couple tried to find the owner to no avail, leaving Mr Winter unable to get to work at Cygnet Hospital in Boxted Road, Colchester.

They called North Essex Parking Partnership, which sent a traffic warden. He slapped a ticket on the car, which was partly parked on a double yellow line, but was powerless to move the vehicle.

When they called the police and operator said officers were too busy to attend and the couple should knock on doors in a bid to find the car's owner.

The owner eventually arrived at 12.30pm, shortly after our photographer arrived, and drove off... after a brief argument with an irate Mr and Mrs Winter.

Mrs Winter, 65, said: "Mick put the rubbish out on Friday morning and came back in and said he can't get the car out of the drive.

"We knocked on a few doors and found out where the owner lives. We knocked on his door and put a note through but didn't get an answer.

"We called the council's parking department, which said it would send a traffic warden but that we need to call the police.

"Getting a parking ticket wasn't the point, we wanted the car moved so Mick could get to work.

"The police said they haven't got enough people to help and that should keep knocking on doors. It's not really good enough."

The Essex Police press office referred the Gazette to website askthe.police.uk, which suggests officers should attend if a driveway is blocked.

Police have the powers to tow a vehicle in such circumstances.

The DVLA can remove untaxed vehicles on public land. According to the DVLA website, the vehicle in question is not taxed.

A spokesman for the North Essex Parking Partnership said it does not have powers to remove vehicles.

He said: "If the vehicle continues to cause a problem once we issue the ticket, the police should be called.

"It is the DVLA's responsibility to check if the vehicle is taxed and the police's responsibility to check whether the vehicle is safe and roadworthy."

Mrs Winter said they have not experienced problems on the road, which is subject of residents' parking permits, in the 20-plus years they have lived there.