Shocking second council workman rams driving teacher as she tries to cease him portray double yellow strains exterior her house
This is the shocking moment a council workman rammed a driving instructor as she tried to stop him painting double yellow lines outside her home.
Monika D’Agate had started a petition with her neighbours opposing plans by Bexley Council to add double yellow lines to her street in Belvedere, south east London.
But she was stunned to discover a worker painting the lines just days after she sent her petition.
Ms D’Agate is seen in CCTV footage standing in front of the contractor’s machine and challenging him as she ‘peacefully protested’ against the installation of the road markings.
But the worker, donning a hi-viz jacket, is seen ramming into the mother-of-one’s foot half a dozen times before she eventually relents and steps aside.
Polish-born Ms D’Agate, who has lived in the area for 32 years, said she felt she was living in a ‘dictatorship’ after her petition against the lines was ‘completely ignored’ by Bexley Council.
She claims the council only informed a few neighbours and put one sign up about the lines on a lamppost.
‘The council hadn’t told any neighbours about [the lines] other than three people,’ Ms D’Agate said. ‘The only people who knew were the ones who I told about it.
Monika D’Agate claims she was ‘peacefully protesting’ against the installation of double yellow lines in her road when she was repeatedly rammed by the council worker painting them
The driving instructor claims her foot was hit and that the council worker was ‘crushing her shoe’
Ms D’Agate (pictured), who has lived in the area for 32 years, said she felt she was living in a ‘dictatorship’ after her petition against the lines was ‘completely ignored’ by Bexley Council
‘It was only when I had an email from the council stating they were going to paint the lines that I [decided] I had to take action.
‘[The council] are lying. Putting a little note on a lamppost is not informing residents – no one knew about it.
‘I printed a letter for neighbours and distributed it to inform people and propose a petition.
‘Every neighbour I spoke to was fuming. I got 90 signatures and could’ve had more. But [the council] completely ignored it and painted the lines anyway.’
Ms D’Agate said she submitted the petition last Monday but by Thursday, the council had started to install the double yellow lines ‘in the middle of the day’.
Speaking of the moment she confronted the council worker, Ms D’Agate said: ‘I went in the road and said, “I am peacefully protesting to stop you painting the lines”.
‘The guy then started hitting me with the machine. Eventually I moved away because he was crushing my shoe. He then finished painting the lines.
‘All of my neighbours are outraged that this has happened and that the council has gone against people’s wishes…. We think we don’t live in a democracy – we live in a dictatorship.’
Ms D’Agate is seen in CCTV footage standing in front of the contractor’s machine and challenging him
Ms D’Agate had started a petition with her neighbours opposing plans by Bexley Council to add double yellow lines to her street in Belvedere, south east London
Ms D’Agate said she submitted the petition last Monday but by Thursday, they council had started to install the double yellow lines ‘in the middle of the day’. Pictured are locals protesting
In a statement, Bexley Council labelled the ‘use of force’ by the contractor as ‘unacceptable’.
A spokesman added: ‘We are addressing this matter directly with the contractor involved to ensure appropriate standards of behaviour are upheld.’
Ms D’Agate said the markings are unnecessary on a street that has never had any issues with parking, and that she was worried that neighbours would now find it harder to find a spot outside their own homes.
Her petition stated: ‘Many residents, including those with limited mobility, may face difficulty accessing their homes with restricted parking spaces.
‘[There are] concerns for shift workers unable to find parking close to their home late at night in the early hours of the morning.’
Ms D’Agate is now urging the council to remove the double yellow lines and consult residents on any future plans for the road.
‘People are not listened to at all, and the council does whatever it wants without actually informing people about its proposals,’ she said.
Ms D’Agate also claimed she’d been told the proposals were to ‘improve sight lines’ in the road, although she believes the council is in fact creating ‘a problem that does not exist’.
The Bexley Council spokesperson addeed: ‘These restrictions were introduced to improve road safety by reinforcing the Highway Code’s requirements to keep junctions clear of parked vehicles, thereby enhancing visibility and access for all road users.
‘The proposal was advertised through legally required channels, including on-street notices and local press announcements.
‘The lines are deliberately limited in length to minimise the impact on parking while addressing road safety concerns.’
