22-07-2025
Drivers in England warned some vehicles will be seized but not others
Drivers have been warned after parking tickets were issued to caravans last Wednesday (July 16) in Morecambe. Reports say two others were also removed 'due to safety concerns'.
Officers posted details on Facebook about the enforcement using powers granted under Section 99 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. They said S99 of the act 'primarily deals with the removal of vehicles that are illegally, obstructively, or dangerously parked, or abandoned or broken down'.
Officers stated 'this does not include people who have just pulled up for 15 minutes to grab a quick bite to eat on their way up to the Lakes'. Instead they apply to caravans which have been 'unattached and unattended for some time' and those which pose 'pose dangerous risks'
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The full statement issued this morning (July 22) by Morecambe Area Police read: "You may remember last week we told you about activity we undertook to address unattended and unoccupied caravans on Morecambe prom (namely, issuing fines). It sparked a lot of discussion in the comments, so we wanted to make a dedicated post to address some of the concerns and questions raised.
"We are able to take action against these caravans through Section 99 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, which primarily deals with the removal of vehicles that are illegally, obstructively, or dangerously parked, or abandoned or broken down. This does not include people who have just pulled up for 15 minutes to grab a quick bite to eat on their way up to the Lakes.
"We apply s99 to caravans which have been unattached and unattended for some time. This is because they cause obstructions in the road which, in busy and 30/40MPH areas, can pose dangerous risks.
"For example, the caravans we fined last week were for obstruction. S99 also empowers authorities to remove vehicles in these situations and make regulations for their removal and disposal, and we did this last week too.
"Two caravans which had been left unattended for quite some time, were removed due to safety concerns. The caravans were in poor condition, were not secured and have no lights on, making them a hazard to other road users.
"The caravans along the front are mentioned to us on a weekly basis, as is often a topic of discussion in PACT meetings (Police and Community Together). We are acting on what YOU tell us are safety concerns for Morecambe. And no, towing caravans does not mean we are not also dealing with other issues in the area.
"We have many different teams in Morecambe who address various community concerns. We know this is a rather lengthy post so thank you for taking the time to read it, but we thought it was important to address some of the questions that came up last week."
