BADLY parked cars have been blamed for hindering emergency services travelling on a road in Highworth and now the police and town council say enough is enough.

A joint letter has been sent to residents in Stapleton Close asking them to park more considerately as currently many are parking on both sides of the road - meaning many larger vehicles including ambulances and fire engines cannot pass.

The letter said: “Both the police and town council have received a number of complaints about inconsiderate parking in Stapleton Close over the years.

“The main worry has always been that emergency vehicles would find it difficult to get past cars to reach an incident in the Close.

“Another worry is that the pavements are blocked by vehicles, which means pedestrians cannot use them.”

There has been much debate about the problem on various social media but deputy mayor Coun Nick Gardiner wants to reassure the public that while more complaints have been received, the problem has been ongoing for some time.

“It was two and a half years ago that the letter was first issued because the behaviour of the short term residents was getting out of hand,” he said. “They were made aware of the problem and it was corrected immediately.

“The reason we felt that we needed to take action was that there were concerns over how an ambulance would pass, especially in an emergency situation, where inconsiderately parked cars would mean it would take the crew longer than it should do.

“In emergencies, every second counts and hopefully a solution is found soon and residents are made more aware of the problem.”

In 2015, the fire service launched the Mind The Gap campaign – a countywide initiative to make residents aware of how inconsiderate parking can delay how quickly emergency services arrive.

Now, assistant chief fire officer at Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, Jim Mahoney, is backing Highworth Town Council and the police’s warning.

He said: “There are often incidents where fire crews are delayed because of inconsiderate parking. Sadly, it is only a matter of time before such a delay leads to a significant loss of property or even a life.

“Cars may be able to pass down streets which have restricted access due to double parking or incorrect parking, but fire engines and ambulances can’t. We would therefore urge everyone who parks on the roadside to help us to provide the prompt emergency response that is rightly expected of us.”

The fire service have issued this advice to anyone parking on the roadside:

• Park tightly to the kerb

• Leave enough space for a fire engine or an ambulance to pass

• Leave extra room near tight corners, and never park right on a junction

• Observe double yellow lines – they are often there to ensure turning space for larger vehicles

• Fold in your wing mirrors