A retired prison officer from Milton Keynes has designed a garden fence with hidden spikes that deflate car tyres when vehicles mount the verge. Kevin Pringle, 64, created the Smart Fence after repeatedly repairing his lawn, which was damaged by drivers parking illegally outside his home.
The fence, costing around £40 for half a metre, features plastic pickets that conceal hollow tubes with chamfered edges. When a car drives over it, the weight breaks the plastic along perforations, exposing the spikes and slowly puncturing the tyres. Mr Pringle says the design mimics police stingers and can be lifted for easy grass cutting.
Mr Pringle, who spent three years developing the product, said he was motivated by the lack of enforcement against illegal parking. He stated, 'Section 34 of the Road Traffic Act says it's an offence to drive anywhere other than a designated carriageway, but you see illegal parking everywhere.' He tested the fence using an old Hyundai Getz.
The inventor believes the fence could be used by councils to prevent unauthorised traveller encampments, as well as by schools and hotels. He noted that Milton Keynes Council has spent £250,000 on barriers in the last five years, suggesting his product would be cheaper and more effective.
Mr Pringle argued that drivers who damage verges are committing criminal damage, making them liable for any harm to their vehicles. He said, 'If you're committing criminal damage and you damage your tools such as a car, it is your responsibility.' A Milton Keynes highways spokesperson declined to comment further.
