ROAD workers were forced to resurface around a parked car after its owner could not be found.

The residents of Lowson Street, in Darlington, were given notice of the work, but while most residents moved their car in readiness the Vauxhall Corsa, complete with flat tyre, remained where it was.

One resident said: “There were fliers that came through the door about the work. The info was a bit general really, there was no date or anything saying when they would start doing it.

"Next thing, signs were attached to lampposts along the street saying that there would be work done the following day. Me and another guy rushed to move our cars around the corner.”

When the contractors working on behalf of Darlington Council arrived, they had little option but to work around the obstacle with the intention of returning some time in the future to complete the job.

Another resident said: “It would be a shame to cancel the whole work just for the sake of one car, so I guess they just had to go around it.

“There wasn’t a great deal of notice about the work but the council did try.”

A Darlington Borough Council spokesman said: “When a road is due to be resurfaced, the contractor will ask residents to ensure cars are parked elsewhere during that period.

"Sometimes, for whatever reason, the odd car is not moved in time. When this happens, the contractor will make further visits to the site, to ensure they are able to complete the job.”