ANGRY neighbours protested in the street at council plans to strip them of their decades-old right to park on the pavement outside their homes.

Home-owners in Wood End Gardens and Wood End Lane, Northolt, say the land, which used to be a grass verge, belongs to them.

They say they were promised by the town hall they could continue to keep their cars there after it was tarmacked over in the 1970s. But tickets were slapped on 18 of the residents' cars in the early hours of the morning last Monday and Tuesday.

And this week they received letters ordering them not to park there from Monday.

Dave Dwyer, chairman of the Wood End Residents' Association said residents had been parking there for more than 40 years.

He added: "There was no consultation, it's harassment. Last Tuesday they came back with a tow truck which was very intimidating. Our deeds say the borders of the property stretch out into the road, they should get their facts straight before they do things like this."

He said it is the second time the council had tried to enforce no parking on the area, it apologised in October for its mistake.

And residents were fearful of the effect on the new bus planned for September, which will be the only one serving the Wood End area, a service to be introduced only after seven years of campaigning.

Mr Dwyer added: "If we're forced to park on the roads it will make things very difficult for the bus and might jeopardise it altogether. Wood End Gardens isn't a big road but at the moment is free because most people don't park on the road, if that changes it'll be more dangerous for children crossing to go to the nearby schools, we have skip lorries from the transport yard running through here, all the starting and stopping of traffic will increase emissions and it'll become a no-go area at peak times, it'll be bedlam."

But the council announced a climbdown as the Gazette went to press.

A Council spokesman said: “We have stopped issuing tickets in these parts of the roads following concerns raised by residents. As a gesture of goodwill we're cancelling the tickets issued during this period.

"We're now reviewing the road and will look to develop formal footway parking proposals if it will improve traffic safety in the area."