IT IS only a matter of time before someone is injured in Westbury as a result of inconsiderate parking, according to a resident.

Bruce Yates, 69, of Leighton Park North, uses a mobility scooter to get around town and says that people in his situation are being forced onto the road because of drivers parking on pavements.

He said: “Roads here are quite narrow and there are lots of blind spots, which means you can’t see cars coming around the corner a lot of the time, as cars park on the pavements.

“It’s particularly bad in Rothe Rise, which I have to go through on my way to town. I’m having to go the long way round to get to the shops now as I’m scared of going that way, it just isn’t safe.

“This doesn’t just affect me, but people who are blind, people who have difficulty getting around and people with pushchairs. I worry about our safety – it’s only a matter of time before someone gets hurt, and the problem is only getting worse.

“People park willy-nilly, they don’t care about anyone other than themselves. It would help if people thought before they parked.”

The increase in traffic has been a hot topic in Westbury for years with more housing applications being approved by Wiltshire Council, meaning more cars are filling the streets.

Westbury town councillor Ian Cunningham said: “We have discussed the issue of inconsiderate parking many times and have sent photographs of cars parked inconsiderately to Wiltshire Council.

"Last week I saw a PCSO telling someone trying to park on the pavement not to do so, which is an encouraging step in the right direction, at least.”

A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police said: "Whereas we can understand how frustrating bad parking can be, police only deal with parking issues if the highway is being obstructed.

"If you believe that the highway is being obstructed or that a parking issue may cause a danger to the public, please call the police on 101.

"Your local council control parking in your area. For any parking complaints such as vehicles parked on double yellows, vehicles parking in disabled spaces with no blue badge etc, please contact the council.

"Report any obstructions on the road, such as mud, illegal signs, overhanging tree branches, hedges, builder’s skips or scaffolding, to the council."