Seaside town launches war against parking meters with 30 smashed and covered in glue

An upmarket seaside town in Scotland has been turned into a battle zone, with angry residents declaring war on its new parking meters.

Vandals have already targeted 30 of the 40 new machines – causing £38,000 worth of damage before they have been able to earn a single penny in fines.

They have been spray-painted with graffiti, covered with glue, and even plastered with stickers urging residents to ‘Resist!’.

East Lothian Council had been due to introduce the new rules this week, but the move has now been delayed until next month.

Under the new measures, motorists would be allowed up to 45 minutes of free parking on the high street.

They would then be charged £1 for up to 75 minutes and £2 for up to a maximum of 90 minutes.

Angry residents accused town hall bosses of ignoring a 7,000-strong petition against the installation.

One said: ‘There are only a couple of weeks when it’s busy in the summer, the rest of the time, it’s fine as it is, so it’s really just moneymaking.’

Alana Anderson, owner of local business Madame Butterfly, added: ‘I’ve been here eighteen years and when I first heard about the meters, I was terrified. I’m still terrified.

‘You read social media and see people saying they won’t come to North Berwick again, and the council aren’t doing anything to reassure business owners.

‘I don’t live in North Berwick, and I don’t know where I’m going to park. It’s a tricky place – people might just get in their fancy cars and go to Tesco.

‘I don’t think vandalism is the answer, however I’m not really surprised. I do think it’s taking it a wee bit far, because I don’t think they’re going to change the council’s mind.

‘They’ve put the machines in, and they’re not going to take them down. The vandalism won’t get us anywhere.’

Carol Smith said: ‘I’m against the meters. The parking is only an issue during the summer months when all the visitors come.

‘I think it’s unnecessary and it’s causing issues for people on residential streets who don’t have drives. I think it will cause chaos.

‘I think the vandalism is wrong. I sympathise with the feelings behind it, but I think it’s just going to cost us more money to get them repaired.

‘I don’t think the council has listened to the residents at all.’

East Lothian Council leader Norman Hampshire told the BBC: ‘The council budget can’t afford to employ traffic wardens and the income from the parking charges will allow us to employ them.

‘If people think by vandalising the machines they will stop the parking charges coming in, we will bring them in. We need to do this.

‘North Berwick is a small town, some people will know who is responsible for the vandalism and Police Scotland are confident they’ll be able to apprehend the people responsible.’

IPS UK, who installed the meters, described the vandalism as ‘totally extraordinary’.

Managing director Freddie Jones told the broadcaster: ‘We have experience of commissioning thousands of parking meters across the whole UK over a number of years.

‘We have never seen the sheer volume and extent of the vandalism which has taken place in North Berwick.

‘For a project of this type, it is completely unprecedented.’

Police Scotland described the attacks as ‘unacceptable’.

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