Beware hi-vis parking bandits at the match
POLICE have published a map showing the private car parks being taken over by bandits to fleece United fans on match-day.
Men in high-visibility jackets take over land they don’t own and cover ‘residents only’ signs before charging as much as £10 per car to park near Old Trafford stadium, officers say.
But they disappear at kick-off, only for official parking contractors to turn up and dish out £100 charges, meaning fans pay twice for parking as well as forking out for United tickets.
The double-whammy has prompted a series of complaints to Greater Manchester Police, who have now issued a match-day warning to fans as well as a map showing the private parking areas visitors aren’t allowed to use.
The map shows 11 official car parks match-goers are to use, together with seven private plots intended for housing association residents.
One fan who was slapped with a £100 charge said: “I couldn’t see any signs. They had obviously been covered up. The whole thing seems to be orchestrated and it’s lucrative.”
Previous parking scams uncovered by the police have been linked to major Salford gangs. A statement on GMP’s Trafford North Facebook page read: “We have received a number of complaints concerning illegal parking attendants charging drivers to park on either the public highway or on private land they have no permission for.
“As a result drivers are later issued with parking enforcement fines due to being parked in ‘Resident Only’ restricted areas. Don’t fall foul to this as it will be a costly trip.”
The private car parks shown on the GMP map are at Railway Road flats, Longford Close, Chester Road, Burleigh Court, Canute Court, Milton Close and Wardle Close. They are all owned by Trafford Housing Trust and are intended for the use of their tenants.
Earlier this year the M.E.N. reported how dad Stephen Hopton, 63, was duped by the bogus parking attendants while taking a nine-year-old relative to a match at Old Trafford.
Stephen was ushered into a car park on Longford Close, just off Chester Road, by men in hi-vis jackets and charged £10 ahead of United’s clash against Derby on January 15. But when he returned to his car he found he had been hit with a £100 fine from a parking contractor. The company has rejected Stephen’s appeal, despite agreeing he was the victim of a scam, and told him to call the police. Bogus parking attendants have been operating around Old Trafford for decades, although police smashed a racket in 2013 when they arrested 20 suspects and closed down nine illegal car parks. A spokesman for Trafford Housing Trust said: “In general, parking problems are caused by visitors, shoppers and people parking at sites near Old Trafford football stadium on match days. Trafford Housing Trust has introduced resident permit parking schemes at a number of its locations to tackle the problem of non-resident parking. This is in response to requests from our customers and to ensure emergency services are able to access these sites when needed. “All Parking Services UK Ltd currently operate the parking scheme. “Trafford Housing Trust would advise anyone looking for match-day parking to only park at official matchday parking sites, which are clearly signposted.” Trafford Housing Trust spokesman