A MAN who was fined for driving through a pedestrianised street has hit out at the council for leaving him with ‘no alternative’.

Donald Ross, of Hendon, was on his way to Brunswick Street in Walthamstow to teach a student a guitar lesson on Thursday, November 24.

Mr Ross, who runs an events management company, was prevented from his usual route due to road works at to the junction of Shernhall Street and Vallentin Road in Walthamstow.

After driving around looking for an alternative route for 20 minutes Mr Ross says he was “forced” to drive through Orford Road, which is traffic-free from 10am to 10pm.

Mr Ross said: “I thought it was very incompetent of the council that their own highways department hadn’t provided adequate assistance to me to get to my destination.

“I don’t think it is good enough because I was forced to make an illegal journey down a street. They left me with no alternative to get to Brunswick Street and they prosecuted me for going about my business.

“The council were negligent and I am angry at them and their behaviour.”

A penalty charge notice can be appealed for a number of reasons including if you were not driving the car at the time or if you are not the owner of the car.

But Mr Ross claims he was told by the council he did not meet the criteria and had no choice but to cough up £65.

Waltham Forest Council issued 14,894 penalty charge notices to people in Orford Road between during a three month period last year.

He said: “I invited them to pay my fine but they said I didn’t meet the appeal criteria. They don’t want to know about anything else.

“They claimed there was a worker in a hi-vis jacket out on the corner of Shernhall Street and Church Lane and it was my fault that I couldn’t see him.

“The fundamental thing for me was the council’s inability to provide adequate diversions and their failure to direct people who are lost.”

Cllr Clyde Loakes, deputy leader and cabinet member for environment said: “There were clear diversion signs in place while resurfacing work was taking place on Shernhall Street, and we had traffic management staff on site at the junction with Church Lane to help motorists make their way around the works.

“Anyone who is issued with a penalty charge notice has the right to appeal if they think they have been penalised unfairly, however I understand on this occasion that the resident decided not make a formal appeal.”