GALWAY MOTORISTS IN the Crescent/Sea Road area were left confused on Wednesday morning when they found parking tickets on up to 50 cars.

The pink tickets looked like the real thing – but a Galway City Council spokesperson says they were “an elaborate prank” that was “very clever and very well done”.

The fake tickets were planted by the pranksters either late on Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning and the council received a number of calls from people who found them on their cars.

“It’s a fairly elaborate prank and very well executed,” said the spokesperson, noting that the fakes were the same colour, shape and size as the real tickets.

“But we would ask people to make sure that they check if they do see something slopped under their windscreen wiper as some are real tickets – don’t throw them away, make sure. Otherwise you could end up getting a fine.”

Although the identity of the people behind the tickets isn’t known, the stunt was “in line with some very interesting ones” previously done by a Galway group, he added.

The tickets say they are from the ‘Cacamilis Cathrach na Gealtanna Gnarly City Counsel’ and contain lines in Irish and English, saying things such as:

It is allright bud. That an offense has been committed is b****x. Your particulars are grand, of which ergo you know. Life is a ride. Hold on and try not to vomit as indicated here

The tickets also have a poem on the back.

As they suspect the tickets are “situationist art pranks”, Galway City Council are keeping with the city’s tradition of “holding the arts in high esteem”, but they hope the fakes don’t confuse motorists.

Read: Galway City Council refuse trucks repossessed>