Western Morning News (Saturday)

Warning over village parking

- EDWARD CHURCH edward.church@reachplc.com

TOURISTS have been warned by the police that illegal parking is “putting lives in danger” after a road used by emergency services was blocked off by visitors going to the beach.

Roads in and around popular beauty spot Porthcurno, near Land’s End, were once again clogged up after car parks quickly filled up.

Visitors to the area had parked directly on the road leading up to Porthcurno Beach, leading to heavy congestion.

At various stages, emergency vehicles were unable to get through and many of the people who parked there were fined.

Penzance police have now urged people to stop being “inconsider­ate” in their parking, and said: “Porthcurno was again brought to a standstill today due to inconsider­ate parking by visitors attending the area.

“Pavements were blocked and insufficie­nt room left for buses to pass, and other larger service vehicles were prevented from going about their business.

“Devon and Cornwall Police assisted by Cornwall Council’s civil enforcemen­t officers attended and a number of vehicles were given fixed penalty notices.”

The police force sent officers to the road on Wednesday, August 4, after reports that warm weather had once again attracted too many people to the small area.

Despite cones indicating there is no parking allowed to keep roads clear for emergency services, they were still blocked.

Residents have been pleading to the council for double yellow lines on the road for years, with annual reports of clogged-up B-roads.

Last year, three people died at the beach, prompting locals to beg for people to use their brains and not risk blocking emergency vehicles such as ambulances.

Penzance Police continued: “Please remember inconsider­ate parking like this may result in the delay of emergency services and put lives in danger.”

It said there were problems at the top of the valley, “however buses and larger vehicles were getting stuck further down towards the Cable Station public house and car park”.

During the parking chaos, local Twitter account Porthcurno Today posted images of cars parked on the road.

The account said: “Police at Porthcurno layby now, beach car park full, some cars on yellow lines blocking pavements. Four more predatory parkers who received penalty notices today at Porthcurno.”

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