Birmingham Driver Stays In Car For Nine Hours After Warden Stand-Off

24 December 2014, 10:47 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

A driver in Birmingham City Centre refused to leave his car after traffic wardens tried to tow the vehicle away.

Matthew Sanders followed through with his pledge to stay in his car "all day", following an argument with traffic wardens on Bennetts Hill, near New Street.

After picking up a fine for parking in a disabled pay illegally, the 34 year old described the attempt to tow his Vauxhall Tigra onto a lorry as an "abuse of authority".

Saying that the act was against his human rights, Sanders suggested that he would stay sitting on Bennetts Hill until Boxing Day, unless his car was returned.

The resident of Macclesfield, Cheshire was angry that his connection to his family was cut off ahead of Christmas.  

West Midlands Police also sent officers to the scene as a preventative measure.

Just before 6pm, they agreed a deal with him to release the vehicle, but Sanders will still have to pay the original fine.

Meanwhile, a council spokesman said that he had "wasted the time of officers and contractors'' on the busiest shopping day of the year.