RESIDENTS who were fined for parking in spaces they thought they could use have been told they do not have to pay.

Many residents in Beech Avenue in Pinehurst have parked on the grass verge on the road for two years without any problems.

So they were horrified when they found £60 parking tickets on their cars last week without being given any warning they could not park there.

But Swindon Council has now withdrawn the fines and promised to talk to residents before making any changes to the parking arrangements.

Tracey Hodges, 38, who was one of the unlucky motorists, is delighted she does not have to pay the fine but is still worried about the future.

"I am pleased we are not getting charged," said Mrs Hodges.

"But it still leaves us up in the air about whether we are allowed to park there. We need to have somewhere we know we are allowed to park rather than thinking can we park here or not.

"All we really want to know is where we stand.

"If they decide we can't, half of us will have to sell our cars because there is nowhere else to park."

Coun Derique Montaut (Lab, Moredon), who had lobbied the council on behalf of the residents, agreed the future was uncertain.

"We have been successful in getting the fines overturned," he said. "But the question of whether it is authorised parking is still unclear."

Residents had said they thought they were allowed to park on the verge because the council had laid matting over the grass.

But yesterday council spokes-man Gavin Calthrop said the matting was laid to maintain the verge, not so that people could park there.

He added that the council was reviewing the parking situation in the area but said the authority would talk to residents before making any changes.

Isabel Field