Shopkeeper sounds WWII air-raid siren when a traffic warden is spotted

A businessman has found a novel way to sound off about the traffic wardens he claims were "swarming" a south-west London shopping street and damaging trade.

Martin Herdman, of Herdman Carpets in Crown Road, St Margarets, said he was so sick of wardens ticketing customers that he rigged up a sound system and blasted a recorded air raid siren whenever a warden appeared.



He said: "We did get a few - and after a couple of days they have not come down. It's had the desired effect."

Mr Herdman said that within two weeks of his siren vigil, the council admitted there was a problem with the parking provision and installed the 19 parking bays currently on the road.

But this isn't the first time Mr Herdman has made a big noise in a bid to save trade on the street: "About 14 years ago I got a real WWII air raid siren because traffic wardens were camped out in Crown Road all day long nabbing people coming into the shops."