Cycle lanes

The other day I encountered a couple of police officers on that road giving a cyclist a written warning for cycling on the pavement (which, fair enough, he shouldn't have been doing), so I very politely asked them what they do about drivers who park on cycle lanes. Said that because this makes the main road more dangerous for less confident cyclists it might be a reason why people are cycling on the pavement. Was met with derision/suspicion and told that it wasn't their job, it was for parking wardens to deal with.

I think it is a criminal offence. I'd need to check what the legal definition of a "cycle track" is to be sure (a piece of green tarmac may not be sufficient) but I think that people parking on a cycle lane are guilty of a breach of the Road Traffic Act 1988.

Charge: "Park a mechanically propelled vehicle on a cycle track"

Legislation: Contrary to section 21(1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 and Schedule 2 to the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988.

Offence wording: "On **(..SPECIFY DATE..) at **(..SPECIFY TOWNSHIP..), without lawful authority, parked a mechanically propelled vehicle, namely **(..SPECIFY VEHICLE MAKE AND INDEX NUMBER..), wholly or partly on a cycle track at **(..SPECIFY LOCATION..)."

Powers of arrest: Arrest without warrant

Penalty: A fine not exceedingly level three on the standard scale.

Report to your local bobbies and tell them to look it up on PNLD, Ref: H3039.