Residents fear death due to illegal parking in Wareham

Wareham resident James Fletcher also fears that if it continues, someone else will lose their life - just years after a three-year-old boy died in 2018. 

Dorset Council has promised more patrols of the area after slamming the parking as being "illegal, irresponsible and dangerous".

James Fletcher, manager at Nationwide Home Innovations, was walking down South Street in Wareham on Thursday, October 6 when he spotted a lorry parked at a pedestrian crossing. 

Illegal parking in Wareham. Image by James Fletcher (Image: z)

The dad of two daughters said: “Because I was walking down the road and saw this happening, I thought rather than just walk by and not say anything, I approached the owner of the chip shop while the delivery driver was in the back of the van. 

“I asked him why on earth is he parked there, have you any idea what you are doing? He had the audacity to say he won’t be long. 

Read more: Jaiden Mangan, three, died following a crash in Wareham

“It was not acceptable; this is why Jaiden was killed in North Street, Wareham a few years ago because of exactly the same parking position. 

“It was a very highly publicised and emotive story and to have history repeat itself would mean no lessons have been learned whatsoever.” 

Illegal parking in Wareham. Image by James Fletcher (Image: Illegal parking in Wareham. Image by James Fletcher)

In 2018, three-year-old Jaiden Mangan died in a crash.

A court heard a motorist parked his car on a pedestrian crossing, causing a lorry driver to drive around it and hit the little boy. 

Mr Fletcher added vehicles are often parked illegally in Wareham and doesn’t want another similar incident to happen that can be “so easily avoided”. 

A spokeswoman for Wareham Town Council said that whilst street parking is not within their control, they will contact Dorset Council who are responsible for it and ask them to address the matter. 

The spokeswoman added: “The town council currently has one car park that it owns in the town (Howards Lane) with an agreement in place with Dorset Council to carry out enforcement. 

“The town council takes all complaints of illegal and inconsiderate parking into account when it receives such complaints.” 

A Dorset Council spokesperson said: “Parking on zig zag lines is illegal, irresponsible and dangerous. We regularly patrol the area and take action in relation to vehicles parked illegally but, as this issue is escalating in Wareham we will increase the frequency of our enforcement officers in the town.  

“Parking on zig zags is a parking contravention and subject to a £70 parking fine. It is also an endorsable offence by the police which could incur 3 points on a licence.” 

A spokesperson for Hunt’s Food Group said: "We have taken the concern raised by James very seriously and have spoken to the drivers.

"All complaints are logged against the driver’s file so we have assured James that the issue has been dealt with and the drivers reprimanded accordingly.

"Our drivers were instructed to collect a heavy freezer unit from a customer which was located directly opposite where he had parked.

"The heavy freezer had to be manually lifted into the vehicles which is why they parked where they did. This is obviously not an excuse, and we are sorry for any concern or inconvenience we caused to the town that day."