MOTORISTS who continue to park illegally outside a village shop in west Suffolk will face immediate fines in a zero tolerance clampdown on irresponsible drivers.

Russell Claydon

MOTORISTS who continue to park illegally outside a village shop in west Suffolk will face immediate fines in a zero tolerance clampdown on irresponsible drivers.

According to police and councillors in Long Melford drivers pulling up on double yellow lines outside The Spa shop and Patisserie at the junction of St Catherines Road and Hall Street are creating a traffic hazard.

Anyone spotted parking outside the shop will now be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of �30.

Richard Kemp, parish and Independent county councillor for Melford, said: “The junction has turned into one of the most dangerous in the region. The double yellow lines are clear and yet irresponsible drivers pull up and completely block the view for drivers pulling out of St Catherines Road.

“We need a zero tolerant approach to this problem before a major incident takes place and I fully support the police action.”

He said people in the village who had confronted drivers parking illegally had received a “mouthful of abuse” in response.

Sergeant Liz Ireland, of Babergh West Safer Neighbourhood Team, said they would be enforcing this after complaints from residents and councillors.

She said: “My officers have noticed that most of the drivers flouting this parking restriction are local people.

I would ask the local community to support residents of St Catherine's Road who have great difficulty pulling out safely onto Hall Street when visibility is obscured by an illegally parked vehicle.”