Biker barrister challenges parking laws

Immune to tickets as wheels don't touch the floor

Wolman...claims his bike's not touching the floor

A MOTORCYCLING BARRISTER is claiming his motorcycle is immune to parking tickets because the wheels are not in contact with the floor when it's parked.

Clive Wolman told three Court of Appeal judges his 500cc Suzuki is not subject to the capital's parking regulations because it balances on its centre stand, with both wheels off the ground, when parked it outside his Islington home.

Mr Wolman's bike has already been given 100 parking tickets, and he's now seeking an injunction against Islington council. Mr Wolman says that the relevant legislation states that a parking violation is committed when a motor vehicle is "parked with one or more wheels on any part of an urban road".

Mr Wolman has already had an injunction against the council turned down last year at Wandsworth County Court. Yesterday he asked Lords Justice Waller, Chadwick and Moore-Bick to overturn that decision, saying that Deputy Circuit Judge Robin Laurie had misinterpreted the meaning of "on".

Jonathan Manning, for the council, rejected Mr Wolman's arguments as "absurd".

The judges reserved their decision.