Sutton residents are fed up with wardens who they claim are waiting outside houses during the night to pounce on cars parked illegally on kerbs.

After a string of night time ticket complaints to the Comet, Sutton Council has stated wardens are right to issue tickets to residents during the night.

Jennifer Dearing, the councils executive head of planning and transportation said this week: The council has a duty to enforce the footway parking ban 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The statement from the council said the main reason for tickets being issued to kerb parkers was that blocking footways is hazardous to others.

Elderly pedestrians particularly those with visual impairments or disabilities and those with young children in pushchairs face the most danger.

The council also said there may be unseen damage being caused to underground services.

Residents from Beddington and Carshalton who have been fined claim they park on the kerb to allow emergency access to their road.

Graham Gibson who lives in Shap Crescent, Carshalton, said: I got a ticket at 6.40am on a Saturday morning two weeks ago.

Are people really going to be walking down the path with pushchairs at that time of night?

Graham wrote to the council and had a visit from street parking manager Martin French, who said he would look into helping the Gibson family get a space outside their home.

After six months Mr Gibson has yet to be contacted about his case.

Chris King of Chiswick Close, Beddington, also had a visit from Mr French. He was told that his parking situation would be reviewed and he might have a chance of a space. So far he has had no further correspondence.

Teresa Tipping of Twickenham Close, Beddington, was given a ticket at 5.28am on Saturday October 13.

She is outraged wardens are giving out tickets while residents are sleeping.

Teresa said: Sending traffic wardens out on a busy road may be right but I live in a cul-de-sac where nothing happens, its not nice to think people are snooping around at night as well.

The councils latest message is the sternest yet; that parking laws are not going to change and parking tickets will be issued at any time during the day or night.

By.Dean Piper