A VICAR says ‘enough is enough’ after he was unable to park at his church for a funeral service and consequently received a parking ticket.

Mourners attending a funeral at All Saints Church at Easton on Portland were also forced to park 10 minutes away as drivers

seeking a free space are taking advantage and parking at the church site.

Rev Tim Gomm, the Rector of Portland, has become increasingly frustrated with the number of people parking in All Saints Church’s car park with no intention of visiting the church.

He says the churchwarden has even been verbally abused by motorists when asking them to move their cars from the site.

The private car park, off Straits near Easton Square, is meant to be for the use of churchgoers and those visiting a neighbouring community centre only.

A sign at the entrance clearly warns that drivers should not park there without prior authority.

Mr Gomm said: “When I went to the funeral, which started at 12.30pm, I arrived early but there were no places to park.

“My biggest concern was the hearse coming in with the coffin and struggling to turn around.

“People who attended the funeral turned up at the car park expecting to park there but had to reverse back out onto the street and park in Tesco’s car park.

“We have no partnership with Tesco, although they are very generous. But it’s an extra 10 minute walk to the church and back.”

Mr Gomm said he was forced to park in a limited-time space on the street nearby and

consequently received a £25 parking ticket as he wasn’t back to move his car in time.

He explained: “When I came out after the service, there was a parking fine on my car, which the church council says it will pay

because it understands the circumstances.”

Mr Gomm said there have been times when Team Vicar James Menzies has been blocked into his driveway near to the church, because of people parking in the area.

To tackle the problem it is warned that the church

now plans to lock up the car park using bars to prevent unauthorised parking at the site.

Mr Gomm said: “Ideally, what we want to happen is for the car park to be exclusively used by people using both the church and the community centre.”

He added: “People are taking

advantage of it and it’s a continued frustration. In the next six weeks we’re going to start locking it up and we have got some bars we will be putting down. We know it will be an unpopular decision, but people are taking advantage and we need to do something.

“Enough is enough.”