Government work...

Council workmen who were resurfacing a road reached a parked car and simply laid the Tarmac around it. Contractors for Hertfordshire County Council were unable to trace the owner of the Renault Modus, which was legally parked on Apton Road, Bishop's Stortford, with a permit holder's space. The council had no legal right to move the vehicle - and authorised workmen to lay the road around it. And although the car has now been removed, the patch of unsurfaced road may be left as it is to save money. A spokesman for Hertfordshire County Council said: "We made exhaustive efforts to contact the owner, with the help of the police, but obviously were not successful. "The car was legally parked so there were no legal grounds for moving it, which meant that Highways had no choice but to work around it." He also said that the unsurfaced patch may never be filled in "If it is in good condition, it will be left as it is," he said.