Mystery as poo-covered BMW left on Merseyside street for over a year

Neither car has a valid MOT and one of them has been left – unmoved and unattended to – for more than a year, according to local residents.

Parking on residential streets is often a cause of frustration – especially if it’s someone who doesn’t live in the area.

There is no time limit on how long a vehicle can be parked outside your house if it is taxed, insured and not in breach of any parking restrictions – the motorhome currently has a valid MOT, and is taxed and legally parked.

However, it is an entirely different matter if a car is parked on a residential road and doesn’t have an MOT and/or road tax. This is the exact situation unfolding in a quiet cul-de-sac in Formby where two BMWs are parked back-to-back.

At the time of writing (March 30), and according to the gov.uk website, the silver BMW’s MOT expired on March 8 and has had no valid road tax since February 1. The black BMW’s MOT expired on October 15 last year and currently has an outstanding recall – its road tax is set to expire on Wednesday April 1.

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Both BMWs are partially parked on the pavement and near to the entrance to Park Way in Formby. Parking partially is not explicitly illegal outside of London, but is considered an ‘unnecessary obstruction’ and could lead to a fine or other action.

For local residents, both BMWs have become ‘unnecessary obstructions’. Samual Brown first noticed the black BMW parked near his home about a year ago, he said: “No one saw who dropped it there and it hasn’t moved an inch since then.

“A lot of my neighbours are quite elderly and you can see some struggling to get past whether they’re driving or using a walker. It’s blocking part of a narrow entrance and cutting off space because it’s parked over half the pavement.

Adding: “It’s just a very strange one to be honest.”

The black BMW is covered with hard, dry bird droppings, dirt, encrusted leaves and has a flat tyre – for many, it is a long-standing eyesore. The silver BMW appears to be in relatively good condition and has not been parked up for as long.

Official guidance states you cannot drive or park your vehicle on the road if the MOT has run out – you can be prosecuted if caught.

Furthermore, you cannot park an untaxed car on a public road, including a residential road, unless the vehicle is declared as Statutory Off Road Notification (SORN) and parked on private property.