Oxfordshire residents who have been without gas for days have now been handed parking tickets.

Around 2,180 houses across Woodstock were left without gas on Tuesday evening in an outage which has left many unable to cook or wash.

SGN engineers were sent to the site to determine the extent of the issue and all affected customers were visited to have their gas supply turned off at the meter for safety reasons.

In the meantime, portable and electric appliances for cooking and heating were offered to the elderly, disabled, chronically sick or those with young children or other special needs.

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Woodstock town councillor Sharone Parnes has spoken out on the issue.Woodstock town councillor Sharone Parnes has spoken out on the issue.

A customer centre was set up at Woodstock Community Hall on New Road with the SGN team on hand from 9.30am on Wednesday to help out.

Yet several residents have been handed parking tickets as they arrived to collect appliances whilst the gas outage continues.

Woodstock town councillor Sharone Parnes said: “People won’t be smelling gas, because it’s all been turned off at the meter everywhere; but to issue penalty charge notices for parking during an ongoing local crisis stinks in a different way, and I know people who are fuming.

“With more than 2,100 households and dozens of businesses enduring without gas supply since Tuesday, it’s astonishing and beyond disappointing to see parking enforcement taking place.

“Residents have gone without warm showers and hot water at home and are obviously trying to make the best of things.

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SGN are on site in Woodstock tackling the gas outage.SGN are on site in Woodstock tackling the gas outage. (Image: Sharone Parnes)

“Some go to the information centre for updates and assistance. Some seek support for others they care about. And along comes a parking warden to dish out parking tickets. It's unreal.

“It seems beyond detached, insensitive and, frankly, rather disgusting– it’s like the County Council and District Council are on another planet.

“The parking scheme was always ultra-controversial and divisive, but dishing out tickets this week makes it seem downright ruthless.”

Oxfordshire County Council confirmed that parking tickets had been issued in Woodstock while the gas outage was still in effect.

A spokesperson for OCC said: “Our enforcement officers have now been made aware of the situation in the area and are acting accordingly.

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“A total of four penalty charge notices were issued in New Road and Bear Close in Woodstock this morning (Thursday) for parking in permit bays without a valid permit.

“Those who have received them can challenge them by following the instructions on the back of the notices.”

The outage remained unresolved as of 5pm on Thursday, making it almost two full days without gas for the residents of Woodstock.

An updated SGN statement on Thursday afternoon said: “Our work is continuing to progress well and we remain on track to begin restoring some gas supplies to affected properties later today.

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Woodstock residents have been handed parking tickets.Woodstock residents have been handed parking tickets. (Image: Sharone Parnes)

"We'd like to thank you once again for your continued patience and understanding, we're working as hard as possible to get gas supplies back on.”

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