Harrods parking warden hands out 15 fines a day to sports car drivers

By Jacob Phillips, Local Democracy Reporter

Parking wardens are having to give out fines daily to sports cars and ice cream vans parked outside of Harrods.

Rich shoppers are asking their drivers to wait parked outside the famous shopping store and some are quite happy to pay £65 fines for the privilege.

Mervin Fernandes, 28, works as a parking warden for Kensington and Chelsea and he is had to issue fines to a wide range of drivers and even had to get former Chelsea striker Timo Werner’s car towed after he was parked on double yellow lines by the luxury department store.

Working 12 hours shifts, and clocking up to 17,000 steps, Mervin is regularly telling drivers to move on in Knightsbridge.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “Sometimes they move, sometimes they get a ticket. There is lots of parking but some people want to be very close.

“If you don’t find at least eight cars I don’t think you are working properly.

“Drivers say owners ask them to stay close and if they are not still down there their owners get mad at them. There’s not much we can do about that. They mainly say its a VIP.”

The 28-year-old explained he gives out 15 to 16 fines a day while on shifts across the borough. While on shift in wealthy parts of the borough, Marvin has even fined Rolls Royces and antique cars.

Outside Harrods, an ice cream van was also parked up on a double yellow line. He had already been fined that day by another parking inspector.

According to Mervin, he is a regular offender but if business is good that day the ice cream seller is more than happy to pay the £65 fine.

Mervin added: “There is an ice cream van that parks on the red route. He gets a PCN fine every day. It’s a win for him. I think he takes in more than he gets.”

Unlike in other areas of the country, drivers can only wait on double yellow lines for 20 minutes in Kensington and Chelsea.

In the past drivers have even tried to bribe Mervin with coffee and in worst-case scenarios, they have got aggressive with him.

He said: “Most of the time people just say stuff and just walk away. Once in a blue moon someone gets aggressive towards you and tries to get in your personal space.

“They are more aggressive towards [female parking wardens]. Body cameras would be really helpful.”

To deal with threats parking wardens have to be given special training on how to cope if someone becomes intimidating. He is able to speed-dial the police on his radio.

Pictured top: Mervin on patrol near Harrods during a walk around (Picture: Jacob Phillips)