Dad faces court docket and £100 after ‘not paying to take his children to high school’
Steven Thompson has been hit with a £100 private road parking charge for stopping on Hawthorns Grove near Runnymede St Edward Catholic Primary School in West Derby, Liverpool, during the school run
Steven Thompson says he is not paying to take his kids to school(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A Liverpool father is facing a potential court dispute over transporting his children to and from school. Steven Thompson ferries his two children from their West Derby home in Liverpool to Runnymede St Edward Catholic Primary School each morning.
Like many parents, the family undertake the mile-and-a-half journey by car, with Steven parking on the street to escort his son and daughter across the carriageway to school.
However, this routine has now embroiled the father-of-two in a conflict with a private parking enforcement firm after his vehicle was detected by an automated number plate recognition (ANPR) camera installed by residents of a housing estate opposite the school.
The dad says parent’s are being targeted (Image: Liverpool Echo)
Steven shared with the ECHO how he received a £100 parking fine for leaving his car on Hawthorns Grove – a private cul-de-sac – monitored by cameras believed to have been installed within the last 12 months. He argued that the fine was unjust simply for attempting to take his children to school.
In April of this year, Steven, who resides on Colonel Drive, received a parking charge notice from UKCPS – the company managing the ANPR camera on Hawthorns Grove. The road itself is not maintained by Liverpool Council, meaning its upkeep falls to the homeowners living there, hence it can be classified as a private road.
In a letter seen by the Liverpool Echo, Steven was caught on camera leaving his vehicle for eight minutes on April 13 while dropping his children off.
A subsequent letter stated: “In accordance with the signage that is clearly and prominently displayed on site, drivers who break the terms and conditions of parking are liable to pay a parking charge.”
Steven claimed there were problems with how the cameras functioned and penalties being handed out, as well as UKCPS’ right to install the cameras.
Private road signs up on Hawthorns Grove (Image: Liverpool Echo)
He remarked: “I think there’s a lot of discrepancies with it, you work hard and pay your tax, I’m not paying to take my kids to school.
“For me, it’s totally wrong. The signs say see signage within the car park but there isn’t a car park.
“I feel sorry for a lot of the parents, if you come at 8am it’s fine but at 8.30am it’s carnage. I don’t know where the ANPR picks you up.
“There’s got to be a bit of give and take, everyone’s just trying to do their best and go to work, take their kids to school.”
Notices on Hawthorns Grove show virtual permits only permit parking on the road, with the ECHO presented with pictures of some motorists taking it upon themselves to block access to the street during busy periods.
Steven revealed he had previously been confronted by residents “with clipboards” who had voiced worries about vehicles being left near their homes.
Such was the severity of the parking problems around the school, a letter was sent out to parents in 2024, pleading with them to show more consideration during pick-up and drop-off times.
This included a request for drivers not to use the private close at Hawthorns Grove. There is a car park opposite Runnymede St Edward, but it’s shut by 9.15am.
Steven now faces a mediation session and potentially a day in court after refusing to pay the charge. He said: “Parents at Runneymede St Edwards are being fined for parking in this road, when the fact of the matter is that the car park is too small.
“I think it is morally unacceptable to fine working people trying to drop their kids at school on time before heading to a day of work.”
