A NEW controlled parking zone due to come into effect today could net the council thousands in fines because residents claim they have not heard about it.

The new JJ Zone in the Ealing Dean area in West Ealing is due to come into effect this morning, and yet few of the residents in the area have parking permits.

One resident fears this could lead to a record breaking day for parking inspectors, because the council has not corresponded adequately with residents.

Tim Ponting, 42, who lives in Princes Road, said: "I'm thinking of giving the Guinness Book of records a call as it's going to be a bumper day for the traffic wardens.

"We had a consultation almost a year ago, and people voted overwhelmingly to reject the zone, but now the council has decided to go ahead with it without telling us.

"We got leaflets through a fortnight ago telling us not to park in the roads on certain days or our cars would be towed away, but then they came round on dates after the ones they said and had to paint around the cars."

Mr Ponting, who works in public relations, said he has walked the streets around his house and has not seen a single car with a permit for zone JJ.

He said: "It's terrible as they haven't told us what's going on, and I only found out the zone was going live because I phoned the council.

"They say they have sent letters out to people and traffic wardens have been putting dummy tickets on the cars, but I haven't seen either of those things and my car has been parked in the road for two weeks while I was on holiday."

The zone has been put in to deter commuters who travel from West Ealing station and use the roads in the area to park in.

It will run between 10am-11am and 3pm-4pm Monday to Friday.

Mr Ponting said: "I don't think the zone is really necessary as there is a real lack of parking in Ealing as it is, and it's a shame as we have so many nice parks people can come and enjoy.

"We have never really suffered from having a lot of cars round here, so I think it's just regulation for regulation's sake."