It was suggested vandalism in the area may have been deliberately aimed at commuters’ vehicles
10:51, 19 Oct 2025Updated 10:51, 19 Oct 2025
Signs have been put up on Woolton Road, Garston(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Cars that were vandalised while parked near a Liverpool train station are not believed to belong to anyone living on the street, according to residents. At least three cars were marred by spray paint on Woolton Road in Garston on Wednesday, October 15, between 8am and 4pm.
Pictures taken by an eyewitness, who did not want to be named, and sent to the ECHO showed a black Mercedes and a black Audi with a line of white spray paint across the passenger side doors. A white Kia also parked on the road was spray-painted with a line of black, also on the passenger side.
The incident occurred not long after “residents parking only” signs appeared on the walls outside properties on Woolton Road.
Speaking to the ECHO today, October 18, a number of residents living on the street said they did not think the vandalised cars belonged to anyone living there.
The street is known to be a popular parking spot for people using the nearby Liverpool South Parkway railway station, with one neighbour reporting commuter vehicles being parked there for up to a whole week.
The cars spray-painted on Woolton Road in Garston(Image: Handout)
One male resident said: “We’ve had people parking on the other side of the main road just to get to their place. I don’t think it’s right. I think they (the residents) should be allowed to park outside their own houses.
“Apparently there’s 311 spaces there free at South Parkway. But they’re not allowed to stay overnight. That’s the rule of the train station. So they park here.”
Another man said: “People who live here should have a residents permit that they can put in the window so it can be seen by the council. Then if the council come and see if they didn’t have a permit, then they would be subject to a fine. That’s what we think.
“It should really be residents-only parking, or they should have somewhere that’s only for the residents. That might stop whatever problems it’s causing.”
They added that another car, belonging to a visitor, had been vandalised on the street last Saturday, October 11.
A female resident said: “I work from home so my car doesn’t move that much, but when I’m out at work and come back it is difficult to get parked. Not on a weekend, but on a weekday. It is busy, but you expect it living so close to a train station.”
It was suggested the vandalism may have been deliberately aimed at commuters by disgruntled residents, leaving others in fear of retaliation.
One man added: “This block was designed in the 50s but the roads have changed. They’ve got busier, there’s a lot of traffic on the roads. There’s a lot of elderly people on this street. If people have carers, or an ambulance can’t get a parking space, or food delivery drivers come, you can understand the residents’ frustration.
“Not to justify what has gone on, it’s not right to vandalise someone’s car. But there is anger out there somewhat. Everybody is frustrated, but I’ve never known it to such an extent.”
The cars spray-painted on Woolton Road in Garston(Image: Handout)
Liverpool South Parkway has 311 free car parking spaces, however vehicles cannot be left overnight at Merseyrail park and ride sites. This isn’t the only incident of “parking wars” in recent weeks.
The ECHO previously reported cars parked on Hale Road in Speke, close to Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA), had been smashed up and left for days.
When the ECHO visited the busy road, a reporter spotted two cars that had been damaged. The driver and all of the passenger windows of a white Hyundai had been smashed in, while the back window had been hit too.
Three windows of a blue Volvo had also been fully smashed, with damage also sustained to the back window. The car had also been egged and one of its tyres had been punctured.
People living on the street said the cars had been parked there for several days and added they had spotted the damage on Saturday, September 27. They believe the cars belong to holidaymakers.
They said many holidaymakers, taxi drivers and regular drivers use the street to avoid paying for parking at the airport, either by using it as a drop-off and pick-up point or leaving their cars on the road for the entirety of their trip away.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said damage to vehicles and airport users abusing the road is a common occurrence.
He said: “It happens all the time. You get people dropping off and picking up all hours of the day and night. Doors slamming, beeping, things like that.
“We’ve had people park in front of our driveway in the past so you can’t get out. Now we tend to park the car on the road instead. Sometimes they say, ‘we’ll only be 20 minutes’ but that’s still a problem.”