Wigan pensioner fined for parking his caravan in alley

A Wigan pensioner has spoken of his anger at receiving a £200 fine from the council for leaving a caravan in an alleyway.

Kevin Alexander, of Moss Street, Springfield, has had the mobile home parked within the gated area at the back of Stopforth Street and Moss Street since the start of March. The 69-year-old said he had to bring it back from a holiday camp in Towyn, North Wales, which was being refurbished. But Mr Alexander then received a sticker on the caravan from Wigan Council saying it had been abandoned and would be disposed of if not removed within 15 days.

After that he contacted the town hall and explained his situation, saying it was his caravan and that he could not move it due to the pandemic.

In a letter back, the council said the caravan could not stay stored in the gated backs, saying all vehicles without road tax must be stored on someone’s own private land, on land that they have permission off the owner or on a caravan storage park.

But it said he would not be fined at that time and said that it was agreed Mr Alexander would move it when lockdown restrictions eased in June.

But in a letter on July 30, the council issued Mr Alexander with a fixed penalty notice after they said he had still failed to remove the caravan.

Mr Alexander now has until the end of August to pay the fine or he said he faces court action and the possibility of a criminal record.

He said he has also been advised that if the caravan is still there in two weeks, that it will be removed by the council’s contractor and that he could be responsible for removal and storage costs.

But Mr Alexander said he felt like he was “being punished” for doing the right thing and following the rules of the lockdown, saying he barely goes out of the house and did not take the caravan back because of this.

Mr Alexander, who lives with his partner Linda Connor whom he cares for full-time, said: “The camp in Towyn phoned up before lockdown to say they were refurbishing and I would have to move the caravan. So I went down and towed it back and left it in the ginnel between two rows of terraced houses and it’s been there since then.

“It was locked on both sides and is in a good condition and isn’t obstructing anyone. I was shocked to receive the letter and feel like we’re being punished for following the rules.”

He described the fine as ridiculous and said he would be appealing and go through the courts if he had to.

He said: “We’ve been barely out of the house since the start of the pandemic. So I feel like we’re being pushed into a corner for doing the right thing.

“We’re being forced by the council to go out of the house. I could end up with a criminal record for leaving a caravan in an alleyway, it’s ridiculous.”

Dave Lyon, assistant director for environment at Wigan Council said: “We are in direct talks with the resident regarding the vehicle and are looking into the circumstances. We appreciate that Covid-19 has led to unprecedented changes, However, as this is an ongoing case, we cannot comment any further at this stage.”