THE scourge of pavement parking is worse than ever in Royal Wootton Bassett, according to angry locals.

People living in the town say they are fed up with the situation and have urged householders to use their drives rather than leave their vehicles by the roadside.

Pia Carnegie, who has lived in Bassett for 25 years, said: “I’ve noticed over the last year people parking on pavements is so much worse than I remember it ever being.

“People don’t seem to care and it reflects in some of the posts made on Facebook groups where they are saying others should cross the road or ignore it.

“Where I live it’s like a cul-de-sac within another cul-de-sac and the parking has become so much worse. I don’t understand why people aren’t using their drives or parking next to the kerb because there’s plenty of space to do that.”

Pia has two dogs, Cracker and Bradley, and takes them for walks around the town quite often.

She says she struggles to get past some of the vehicles that have been inconsiderately parked, particularly around Masefield, Otters Way and Byron Avenue.

But she is more concerned for children and people with disabilities.

“Some of the vehicles are right next to a junction, which causes a blind spot for drivers and anyone crossing the road,” Pia said.

“It’s bad enough with my dogs. I can’t imagine what it’s like dealing with that with children. I imagine parents trying to cross the road with their children and it’s so dangerous.

“I think there’s a sense of entitlement at the moment and tempers have become shorter since the Covid situation started. I was brought up to be respectful and courteous, it seems this is no longer the case for most people. I worry about how future generations will be.

“I’m worried about the safety, of myself, my dogs and family when crossing roads now, it’s really frustrating.”

Councillor Bridget Wayman is the cabinet member for highways at Wiltshire Council.

She said: “Unfortunately, there are no parking restrictions in this part of Masefield, so our officers are unable to enforce in this area.

“Our civil enforcement officers can only enforce where restrictions, such as yellow lines or parking bays, are in place. If any vehicle is causing an obstruction, the responsibility for enforcement lies with the police.

“People can submit a request for a traffic regulation order to their local town or parish council, to enable parking restrictions to be introduced into an area, and these will be considered based on a scoring matrix, local need and the views of the local town or parish council. This helps us to select the sites that require the most urgent action.”

Wiltshire Police were contacted for comment.