Motorists in a Cornish town have been slammed by Devon and Cornwall Police for their poor parking practices.

While on patrol, officers from Bodmin Police Station spotted a number of cars parked on the pavements at Higher Bore Street in the town.

Police have issued a warning, saying that while they issued a polite request to the owners of the vehicles this time, persistent pavement parking could lead to further enforcement being taken.

A spokesperson for Bodmin Police said in a message to residents that ‘pavements are for people, not cars’, adding that the offending parking contravenes a number of rules, including causing an unnecessary obstruction, driving on a footpath and in some of the instances, parking in the confines of a pedestrian crossing, an offence which can lead to a fine and points on a driving licence.

They said: “Pavements are for people, not cars.

“These are examples of inconsiderate parking and there are a range of offences committed here potentially from ‘causing an unnecessary obstruction’, ‘driving on a footpath’ and also parking within the confines of a pedestrian crossing (which could result in a fine and points on a driving licence). This is not the only location where there are ongoing issues and, whilst we do appreciate that parking is at a premium, that doesn’t mean drivers can just park anywhere just to get as close as possible to their home address or to pickup a takeaway.

“Complaints have been received from valid pavement users who are having to step into the road in order to get past parked cars - this is unacceptable.

“The purpose of sharing this post is to illustrate that parking like this is unacceptable and we ask that it stops. Failure to comply with this polite request is likely to result in tickets being issued.”