Parking wars in Manchester suburb as mystery notice left on Mercedes

A mysterious community group has begun leaving unofficial notices of traffic offences on cars in a south Manchester suburb.

A notice was spotted in Levenshulme on Tuesday, attached to the windscreen of a white Mercedes. It was parked on Slade Lane, directly blocking the cycle path that exits from Osborne Road.

Cars can no longer access the road, which was closed off and converted to a ‘cycle filter’, along with fourteen others, in early 2021. The filters prevent cars from entering residential streets but allow cyclists and pedestrians in and out, in an attempt to reduce the number of motorists in the area.

READ MORE: It's been three years but something in Levenshulme is still dividing opinion

Looking very official with a black and white check header and footer, the typed out notice was headed “Notice of Traffic Offence Violation” and addressed to “the driver of this vehicle”.

The notice informed them that they were committing an offence “under the Road Traffic Act 1988, Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 and the Highways Act 1980”. It was signed by hand, “for and behalf of the Levenshulme Community Action Group”.

On public roads, only traffic wardens or parking attendants can issue actual parking tickets. Fixed penalty notices apply to more serious violations and are issued on behalf of the council. The notice in Levenshulme didn't mention any kind of enforceable punishment or penalty – but was nevertheless acting as a warning to the driver.

There are plenty of community groups and residents associations in the area, but this one has no internet presence whatsoever, the M.E.N. found. It’s so incognito that even the other Levenshulme residents haven't heard of it.

“Anyone know who's behind the