COMMUTERS aiming to avoid parking charges by leaving their cars on residential streets near a train station have been slapped with fines.

Thames Valley Police officers swooped on a suburban street after home owners were been plagued with motorists parking inconsiderately in front of their properties.

Residents have remonstrated with commuters who have parked over driveways before boarding trains near Earley railway station, only to be verbally abused or ignored.

The motorists have also been ignoring parking restrictions that prohibit parking in the residential streets between 10am and 11am in a bid to prevent all-day parking.

One home owner, Narendra Bahulekar , of Kenton Road, said: “Lots of people park here. I empathise with them that the parking at Earley Rail Station is insufficient.

“You cannot park along the street between 10 and 11am, that is the law, but you have some people just coming along and parking and leaving their cars along the road for the entire day.

“This is a main road for Earley and Lower Earley for people trying to get on to the Wokingham Road.

“I have been told right now there are no plans for traffic wardens within the next couple of years.”

Mr Bahulekar added that it was not just Kenton Road that was affected. Neighbouring roads like Finch Road were also a “parking nightmare”.

Following the tip-off, officers were sent to the parking hotspot and slapped penalty tickets on cars.

Some motorists were caught in the act, but officers were quick to inform them that they shouldn’t leave their car on the streets so they drove elsewhere.

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said: “We were made aware of some vehicles not parking according to the restrictions.

“Two parking tickets were issued as we couldn’t locate the owners and three vehicles were moved on.

“The majority of vehicles belonged to residents which is why we could get them moved.

“There are signs dotted along the street, which warn drivers that cars cannot be parked there between the hours of 10 and 11am."

The spokesman added: “Officers have been there since and found no vehicles illegally parked.

"The restriction is only for an hour in the morning Mon – Fri 10am – 11am to prevent people parking and taking the train.”