PANICKED motorists were left fuming after discovering their cars had been moved to another street by workmen who were repainting road markings.

Some drivers were on the verge of tears, believing their vehicles had been stolen after returning to find their vehicles missing from the Southampton street where they had left them.

In fact workmen had hoisted the cars on to a transporter and parked them in nearby streets to allow them to continue painting lines on the recently resurfaced road.

Drivers spent hours searching for their vehicles last night while making frantic calls to the police in a bid to find their cars.

After being reunited with them, drivers hit out at Southampton City Council asking how they were allowed to move their vehicles without warning and without any notification as to where they had moved them to.

Letters from the council had gone out to residents three days before the lines were due to be painted by Balfour Beatty, contractors for Southampton City Council.

The letter reads: “We have made several attempts to complete this work but have found that motorists are removing the cones and parking cars in the spaces which has prevented work starting.

“No waiting cones will mark the working area. Please be advised that any cars parked on the eastern side of Carlton Road between Wilton Avenue and Archers Road will be removed to the nearest available area, a record of which will not be noted.

"If your car is removed we will not be responsible for its safety and location or for any costs incurred by its relocation.”

A spokesperson for the AA said that the action was “pretty dramatic” but that the council do have the right to remove cars if warning has been given.

They added: “It is a potentially dangerous thing to do in terms of damage that could be caused to the vehicle.

However, we have come across cars being removed before.”

When contacted by the Daily Echo Southampton City Council were unable to provide a comment.

Panic followed by relief as drivers finally find cars

Daily Echo:

VIDEO footage recorded by neighbours shows the workmen in Carlton Road hoisting cars on to a transporter and dropping them in bays in side streets so they could begin painting yellow lines yesterday morning.

The film, captured by an eagle eyed resident, shows a silver Rover 45 being lifted on to the truck.

The Daily Echo later found it in a two-hour limit bay in nearby Crowell Road with no note explaining why it had been moved.

Owner Martin Klysewicz was reunited with his vehicle last night after a series of frantic phone calls including one to the police reporting it stolen.

The 35-year-old father-of-two from West End who parked up at 8am before heading to work at a dental practice in the city centre said: “I panicked and I was calling my wife saying I was sure I had parked it there.

“I couldn’t remember my registration number and I was worried that the police would have taken it to storage.

“I understand that the workers have got a job to do but this is my property and I expect them to notify me.”

Louie Findlater, 22, who lives nearby, discovered his black Peugeot 206 in Carlton Road was gone yesterday afternoon on his way to work.

He spent more than two hours trying to track it down and only found it after help from the Daily Echo.

He said: “It’s absolutely outrageous they can tow cars away without warning and leave no notice.

“I’m relieved but also very angry as I’ve spent two hours trying to find it when I should be at work.”

Steve Mullins, who filmed the cars being taken away, said: “I did not see any signs saying they would be taking any cars. It was a surprise tactic.

“There were traffic cones a few days before but people moved them.”

  • Additional reporting by Maxwell Kusi-Obodum