Woodstock town councillor, Sharone Parnes has criticised the local council for issuing parking tickets outside a help centre (Picture: Oxford Mail/SWNS)
Residents left without gas for days were issued parking tickets at a help centre set up for them.
Around 2,180 homes in Woodstock, Oxfordshire were hit with the major gas outage on Tuesday, leaving many struggling to wash and cook.
Gas distribution company, SGN engineers visited customers to turn off their gas supply for safety reasons while they investigated the issue.
Portable and electric appliances for cooking and heating were offered to elderly, disabled, chronically sick or those with young children or with special needs.
On Wednesday a customer centre was set up at Woodstock Community Hall in New Road with the SGN team help answer questions and hand out the temporary appliances.
However several residents have reportedly been handed parking tickets while picking up the appliances.
Woodstock town councillor Sharone Parnes said: ‘People won’t be smelling gas, because it’s all been turned off at the meter everywhere; but to issue penalty charge notices for parking during an ongoing local crisis stinks in a different way, and I know people who are fuming.
More than 2,000 homes were affected by the major gas outage (Picture: Getty Images)
‘With more than 2,100 households and dozens of businesses enduring without gas supply since Tuesday, it’s astonishing and beyond disappointing to see parking enforcement taking place.
‘Residents have gone without warm showers and hot water at home and are obviously trying to make the best of things.
‘Some go to the information centre for updates and assistance. Some seek support for others they care about. And along comes a parking warden to dish out parking tickets. It’s unreal.
‘It seems beyond detached, insensitive and, frankly, rather disgusting– it’s like the County Council and District Council are on another planet.
‘The parking scheme was always ultra-controversial and divisive, but dishing out tickets this week makes it seem downright ruthless.’
Oxfordshire County Council confirmed that parking tickets had been issued in Woodstock while the gas outage was still in effect.
A spokesperson for OCC said: ‘Our enforcement officers have now been made aware of the situation in the area and are acting accordingly.
‘A total of four penalty charge notices were issued in New Road and Bear Close in Woodstock this morning (Thursday) for parking in permit bays without a valid permit.
‘Those who have received them can challenge them by following the instructions on the back of the notices.’
Last night, SGN said the issue had been fixed and the company was going to each individual property to restore gas supplies.
By 3.15pm today around 650 properties still had no gas.
An SGN spokesperson said an update on the situation will be given later this evening.
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