Volunteer ‘Angels’ Help Leamington Shoppers Avoid Parking Fines

Four volunteers dressed as angels were recruited to help shoppers avoid parking fines this Christmas.

The volunteers were organised by the Leamington Spa Business Improvement District (BID), a collection established by local businesses and property owners in 2008.

The four, dressed in puffer jackets with wings and carrying brass trumpets and bells, tried to cheer up motorists by directing them to spaces and alerting them to approaching traffic wardens.

They even added 20p to the meter when their cars were about to exceed the allocated time.

Pedestrians were also given shopping offers by the angels, including discounts for local businesses such as Neals Yard festive spray, Body Shop glitter and Angel perfume.

Matt Crooks, from BID Leamington, explained the idea: ‘We were thinking that parking in town at Christmas is difficult, and we were wondering what we could do to make that whole experience a little bit more fun and a little bit more festive, and we came up with the idea of parking angels.’

‘Working so closely with those who shop, dine or trade in Leamington, we are very aware of the importance of having customer friendly parking services,’ added the executive director of BID Leamington, Stephanie Kerr.

According to the organiser, the local businesses warmly welcomed the idea.

One staff member even offered to volunteer as an angel during their day off.

‘…we were wondering what we could do to make [the] whole experience a little bit more fun and a little bit more festive’

Warwickshire County Council praised the angels for helping to promote local businesses.

However, they noted that if drivers overstay their allocated time in a parking bay then they will still have to pay a fine.

Last year, the Warwickshire County Council received an income of £700,000 from parking penalty charge notices.

A group of residents refused to pay the charges for their parking tickets in Leamington Spa two years ago due to an informational asymmetry of a legal parking location on Radford Road, alongside the absence of warning given prior to ticketing.