Parking protest storms City Hall

Hundred of protesters stormed City Hall in London in the latest protest over the scrapping of free motorcycle parking bays.

Around 500 motorcyclists joined a slow ride which ended by invading the foyer of the home to Westminster City Council.

Warren Djanogly, chairman of the campaign group No To the Bike Parking Tax, said surprised staff made a “panicked” phone call to police.

He said: “The police were brilliant. They got there and said: ‘They’re not doing anything wrong. What’s the emergency?’

“They just asked people to move their bikes because they were parked on the pavement and then closed the road for us to leave. It showed they were very much on our side.”

Djanogly said Tuesday night’s protest was “a real kick in the teeth” for Westminster City Council, which since August has charged riders £1.50 a day to use motorcycle parking bays that are traditionally free.

It’s feared free motorcycle bays will be lost nationally unless the measure is overturned.

For details on future protest rides, check www.notobikeparkingfees.com

Westminster City Council declined to comment.