AN angry Thurrock resident has criticised Thurrock Council's parking enforcement team for its harsh attitude after the sun bleached out rubber-stamped registration numbers on officially supplied permits.

Moira Wilcox lives on Butts Road, close to Stanford-le-Hope rail station and has two permits for vehicles. They were produced by Thurrock Council and have been displayed in the cars for some time, and were due to be renewed on 2 September, which they were.

However, on a recent patrol prior to that renewal enforcement officers noticed the numbers of the original permits had faded and issued penalty notices for both vehicles.

The fine is £50 per ticket, reduced to £25 if paid inside 14 days without a formal challenge.

Moria says: "The permits were in date and I challenged the council but they have just said it is my responsibility to make sure that the ink on the front is not faded, even though the ink-marked stamp was produced by the council.

"So my advice to all local residents is check your permits and ensure that the ink has not faded. If so - get them replaced."

In a rebuttal to a request by Moira to have the fines withdrawn, Moira was told the council officer who passed judgement: "Having carefully considered your informal challenge I have decided on this occasion not to cancel the penalty charge notice because it was correctly issued. The civil enforcement officer noted that your car was parked in resident permit holders' space' displaying an invalid permit."

Meanwhile, on neighbouring streets, Thurrock Council has now painted over double yellow lines that were were wrongly laid down a couple if weeks ago.

The mistake was exclusively revealed by Thurrock Nub News.

The council has declined to say how much their mistake has cost council taxpayers and Nub News editor Neil Speight said: "It sums up this calamity-ridden council that it can persecute a resident for a problem clearly partially of its own making, but simply brushes over its own errors on the next street.

"One rule for law-abiding residents, one for itself."