Political tensions boil over after Ukip campaign bus parks up in Stubbington taxi bay

A POLITICAL row has broken out over a Ukip election campaign bus being parked in a taxi bay in Stubbington.
The Ukip bus parked in the taxi rank in StubbingtonThe Ukip bus parked in the taxi rank in Stubbington
The Ukip bus parked in the taxi rank in Stubbington

Supporters came to Stubbington Village Centre aboard the party’s bus to promote it ahead of the local council elections.

But the move caused an argument as the bus was left parked in a taxi bay, near a sign stipulating no other vehicle was permitted to stay there.

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Fareham Borough Council leader, Councillor Sean Woodward, reported it to authority’s bosses as he says taxis were held up and shoppers were left wondering why ‘councillors were permitted to flout traffic regulation orders’.

It’s the same bus that collided with the canopy of Portsmouth and Southsea railway station as it attempted to manoeuvre out of a car park after greeting party leader Nigel Farage during his visit to Portsmouth in April 2014.

Ukip Stubbington councillor Chris Wood says the situation was cleared up ‘within 30 seconds’.

Cllr Wood said: ‘The monitoring officer called me and he said it was fine, just don’t do it again.

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‘It was nothing more than that. The chap driving the bus had a disabled badge anyway.

‘We’ve had this bus for the last two to three years.

‘If Cllr Woodward was that concerned, he could have contacted me himself. He and anyone else are free to contact me at their will.

‘They have my contact details.’

Cllr Woodward said it was another example of ‘absolute arrogance’ shown by Ukip members in Fareham.