A BROMSGROVE pensioner was outraged to wake up to workers painting double yellow lines outside her home which will leave her with 'no where' to park.

Retired teacher Penny Smith, 63, has lived at Ednall Lane in central Bromsgrove for 23 years, but has had to compete to park outside her house, due to parents dropping and collecting their children at the nearby Bromsgrove School.

Despite school staff being 'very accommodating' and advising parents to keep the space clear, Penny reached out to Worcestershire County Council on several occasions to apply for a designated parking space - all of which were refused.

After resigning herself to park on the road, Penny was appalled to find men painting double yellow lines around her usual parking space on February 22, despite receiving no direct warning from the council.

Penny said: "I just looked out the window and there were men trying to paint yellow lines literally outside my house - I couldn't believe it. My husband Neil went out and said 'what are you doing?'. Those poor men - I know they're only employed to do a job, but I said there's no bloody way I'm moving my car until I can speak to somebody. I'll lie in the road if I have to."

The workers left after Penny's objections, but allegedly told her they were required to complete the work by March 9.

"It just highlights how uncaring and how disappointing the council are," said Penny. "For years they've refused our requests for a marked parking space and now they can't even send someone round to come and talk to the people who have lived and worked here all their lives. It makes me so cross."

She is also concerned the lack of parking will be detrimental to the property value of her Victorian home, as well as that of her neighbour Jan Turner.

"You can imagine what's happened to the value of our houses," she said. "I've spent the last 20 odd years spending all my money to make the house lovely and no one is going to want it now."

But Worcestershire County Council has said the double yellow lines are necessary to effectively manager traffic on the narrow road.

A council spokesman said: "The double yellow lines in Ednall Lane, Bromsgrove, were put in place as a result of local complaints about parked vehicles impeding access. The road is very narrow and the new double yellow lines were considered necessary for traffic management. They were approved by both the local member and the police. Notices were placed on site and in the local newspaper and there were no objections raised."