Darlington reverend slams 'selfish' drivers as hearse can't park

It comes after a hearse was unable to pull up outside the doors of St Mark's Church this week when a Mercedes blocked the path.

Caroline Ferguson, who has led services there for the last three years, was even told to “f*** off” after confronting one disrespectful driver on The Leas. 

The 61-year-old said people are moving the church’s bollards, used to make room for a funeral cortege, onto the grass verges so they can park their car on the street. 

St Mark's does not have its own car park, and the parking woes meant that, during a funeral this week, she had no choice but to block off The Leas for an hour while the hearse parked in the middle of the road.

During another incident last month, she says she was “told to f*** off” when she confronted a driver who parked there the night before a funeral  - although they eventually moved their car.

The church puts out cones to stop parking. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) Rev Ferguson, who is covering the church which is in need of a permanent vicar, said: “We have constant problems with people just parking.

“I have lost track (of how many times it has happened) because it happens so regularly.  

“When we are having funerals, we put a couple of bollards out in front of the church so we can get the coffin inside. 

“But there have been three funerals where we have had to ask people to move. 

“We are [also] having problems with people coming the night before and moving the bollards onto the grass verges and parking where the hearse needs to go. 

“The problem with St Mark’s is we don’t have our own parking.” 

The Harrogate Hill resident, who has lived in the town all her life, was dealt another blow on Monday when a funeral procession arrived at the church to find the bollards moved again, and a white Mercedes parked in front of the door. 

“What happened the other day… it was the most tragic funeral I have done in the last 14 years”, she explained.

“I was really mindful that it was going to be a very stressful funeral and when we arrived this car was there. I had no alternative but to block the road off for an hour.

“The hearse had to stay in the middle of the road, and as a result we disrupted the residents on the road. I am getting incensed by this selfish behaviour.” 

(Image: SARAH CALDECOTT)

‘There is no respect’

Caroline, who started training in 2010 and was ordained in 2013, said she also has concerns about residents on The Leas affected by the issue. 

“I am equally as concerned about the grieving families as I am about the residents”, she said. “I am rooted in this community and I care for that community.

"I do not want them to think we do not care for the people around us.” 

Caroline has considered the prospect of getting "enormous" signs to make the parking situation more clear, as double yellow lines directly outside of the church would also mean the procession could not park there.

St Mark's Church in Darlington. (Image: SARAH CALDECOTT) But she admitted she remains “at a loss” on what to do, saying: “I have spoken to our local councillor and he is taking it up with the council to see what we can come up with in terms of a solution.” 

In order to get the message out, Caroline this week posted on Facebook asking people to have a “little more respect” when it came to parking near the church. 

The post said: “Can you all please get the message out that we need to have a little more respect and consider others when parking near St Mark’s. 

“If the bollards are out they are there because there is a funeral and we need access. Losing a loved one is difficult enough without adding further distress because the hearse can't park.”

The post has since been shared more than 150 times, something Caroline said she was "blown away" by.  She said: “It shows that people do have respect.”