Flowers of romance

In the UK a couple who planted flowers in a roadside verge recently faced a charge of criminal damage from the local authorities. The elderly couple started planting the flowers 15 years ago in a bid to dissuade motorists from parking their vehicles illegally on the verge, explaining that this churned up the grass and left it looking unsightly.
September 29, 2014 Read time: 2 mins

In the UK a couple who planted flowers in a roadside verge recently faced a charge of criminal damage from the local authorities. The elderly couple started planting the flowers 15 years ago in a bid to dissuade motorists from parking their vehicles illegally on the verge, explaining that this churned up the grass and left it looking unsightly. A local council official visited the area after being called to inspect the remains of a fallen tree nearby. The officious official spotted the fuchsias and after making enquiries as to who had planted them in the verge, warned the retired couple that this was a dangerously illegal activity in breach of regulations. The couple then received a letter from the authorities requiring them to remove the flowers and replace the turf on the verge in question, threatening a fine and court action if they refused to comply. A representative for the council later explained that in the event of an accident occurring on the verge resulting in injuries, it would not be clear who to sue for damages due to the presence of the flowers. European road safety standards do not so far include vehicle impact tests on fuchsias.

Related Content

  • Caught at last
    July 11, 2016
    A British man who managed to evade being caught for a number of driving offences over several years is now counting the cost. He had amassed a series of speeding offences in various high-end vehicles. In one incident he could be clearly seen in a speed camera image, making an obscene gesture at the camera. But each time the man was sent a letter informing him of an offence for which he would be prosecuted, he invented a fictitious name and personal details and claimed the person was living at one of the var
    Read More
  • Adopting driverless vehicles could boost road safety
    February 10, 2016
    A new report suggests that making all vehicles autonomous could prevent up to 95% of all traffic crashes. But the report also highlights how government and industry need to urgently address the barriers to adoption, regulatory and insurance issues. This new report has been produced by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in the UK. It calls for urgent action by both government and industry to encourage the greater use of autonomous and driverless vehicles.
    Read More
  • Looking around the world with bitumen technology
    March 4, 2015
    Russia needs polymer-modified bitumen; the UK is embracing US-style pavement preservation technology and gearing up to import more bitumen; and Italy prepares to export innovative modifying technology; plus a look at the market in Asia Pacific and the Middle East – Kristina Smith reports. The Total Group has announced two recent deals which underline the changing bitumen market around the world. In Moscow, it is constructing a new type of polymer-modified bitumen (PMB) plant in joint venture with Gazprom Ne
    Read More
  • Leaner WIM enforcement through new solutions
    December 3, 2013
    Guy Woodford reports on a major new Weigh in Motion system, big WIM solution deals and how a leading firm in the sector is warning UK fleet operators to be aware of how leaner enforcement work is helping authorities detect more overloaded vehicles Kapsch TrafficCom announced its keenly awaited new Weigh in Motion (WIM) solution at this year’s ITS European Congress in Dublin, Ireland. The sector-renowned Austrian firm’s latest solution uses a number of sensors and loops to detect whether the vehicle exceeds
    Read More

Highlighted Content