MOVING cars from a Southampton street to allow workmen to repaint the road markings was a “last resort”, according to council bosses.

Exasperated workmen were so fed up with finding cones removed and cars parked where the work was due to be carried out that they decided to remove the offending vehicles without the owner’s permission.

As reported yesterday by the Daily Echo, motorists were left fuming when they returned to where they had parked their cars in Carlton Road to find them missing.

Some spent several hours trying to find their vehicles, which had been loaded on to a car transporter and moved to parking bays on nearby side streets to allow the line painting work to be done.

In a statement Southamp-ton City Council said it was left with no choice but to take the drastic step after six failed attempts to carry out the work.

The road was resurfaced in August and since then workmen have repeatedly tried to paint on the double yellow lines and bus stop markings. However, on each occasion they have found cones that had been put out to stop motorists from parking there had been moved.

As a result letters were sent to households warning them of the risk of their cars being towed away if they continued to park there, a threat which was carried out on Thursday.

The statement said: “No Waiting cones were duly put out on Wednesday night, however, once again, the cones had been removed and vehicles were parked when the lining crew turned up.

“As a result the offending vehicles were removed. The repeated visits and staff time have proved costly and has caused disruption to motorists and cyclists.

“Our advice to motorists is to adhere to the letters and not to remove cones. Vehicles will be removed as a last resort.”

The spokesman also pointed out that despite there being no double yellow lines there were clear signs on the approach from both directions stating that the area was a controlled zone and that no parking is allowed between Monday and Saturday from 8am to 6pm.

The council would not comment on why no signs were put up warning the general public that their cars would be towed away or where they had subsequently been moved to.