Hurryup&wait:
I don’t know the law Ray but don’t most German made cars allow you switch on parking lights on one side only when parked?
It’s probably legal to park with only half the lights on in some countries (e.g. Germany for all I know), but it’s not here in the UK.
I have ocassionally seen council contractors pop marker lights on small machinery overnight too so I wonder if Simon might be on the money here?
Section 24 Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations 1989:
"24.—(1) Save as provided in paragraphs (5) and (9), no person shall–
(a)use, or cause or permit to be used, on a road any vehicle which is in motion–
(i)between sunset and sunrise, or
(ii)in seriously reduced visibility between sunrise and sunset; or
(b)allow to remain at rest, or cause or permit to be allowed to remain at rest, on a road any vehicle between sunset and sunrise
unless every front position lamp, rear position lamp, rear registration plate lamp, side marker lamp and end-outline marker lamp with which the vehicle is required by these Regulations to be fitted is kept lit and unobscured."
(Paragraphs 5 & 9 deal with the exemption on a restricted road for certain classes of vehicle - essentially small vans, cars and motorbikes, but NOT lorries)