YOU’RE NICKED!
VILLAGE’S SCARECROW TRAFFIC OFFICER STOLEN IN EARLY HOURS
A FAKE traffic officer designed to prevent poor parking at a beauty spot has been stolen.
The scarecrow, named Jeremy by villagers, was created late last month after residents had had enough of parking issues around Thornton Reservoir.
Parking has become a huge problem for residents living close to the reservoir, with owner Severn Trent Severn Trent Water appealing to visitors to “park responsibly and show extra care for the community”.
Thousands flocked to the reservoir once lockdown restrictions were eased last month, overwhelming the available car parking and spilling out on to the village’s roads.
One resident told the Mercury last month that the situation had become so bad that it had become difficult to leave the village at peak times.
Residents in the area came together to tackle the situation with posters and other various ways to remind people to park sensibly before visiting the reservoir for a day out.
One of the more creative methods they came up with to remind visitors of parking regulations and etiquette was Jeremy.
The scarecrow was dressed in an orange high-vis jacket and, from a distance, could be mistaken for a real parking officer.
It was hoped his presence would make people think twice before parking their cars in dangerous spots or mounting the pavement.
One of the volunteers of the
Thornton Reservoir Parking Problem Group said that he had “made a massive difference” since he was put in place on June 19.
He said: “Jeremy was made by two kids and their mum and he’s really realistic.
“But last Thursday, at about 2.50am, he was maliciously taken.
“He was then pictured (on social media) in Anstey Co-op car park. But when I went there at about 5pm on Friday he was gone again.
The volunteer said they feared Jeremy had been dumped in the reservoir at first and so warned the police of his disappearance in case someone thought the scarecrow was a body.
But since the sighting at the Co-op car park, he has not been seen again.
The volunteer said there would be “no consequence” for him being returned, and that they just want him back to help with the parking issue in the area.
In Jeremy’s place until his return is a traffic warden’s high-vis jacket and a message reminding people to be aware of their parking.