POLICE have been challenged to punish people who park illegally on a busy road in Salford Priors.

The call came at a meeting organised by the parish council to discuss the problems caused by parked cars on Evesham Road and Station Road by churchgoers and visitors to The Bell public house.

Residents claim inconsiderate parking on Sunday mornings and on days with special services at St Mathew's Church makes it impossible for them to get out in their cars.

The other bad time is Saturday afternoon when fishermen's cars spill over from the pub car park, though they now tend to travel in groups on coaches.

Some problems are caused by residents who have no off-road parking.

When beat officer Pc Peter Gateley confirmed drivers were breaking the law because most of the road had double white lines, resident Wendy Steventon said: "If they are breaking the law, give them a ticket and they will never do it again."

Pc Gateley agreed it would be "a short, sharp shock for some people" but said police had no record of any complaints about the parking.

Lynn Barlow, who lives in Station Road, is one of the people trapped in her home by cars double parked outside her drive.

She said: "We have problems when there are large services at the church. I complained to parents from Dunnington School when it was the harvest festival. I couldn't pull out safely into the road so I just stayed at home."

The parish church attracts a congregation from a large area, most of whom have to travel by car.

Church officers have tried to resolve the situation by asking members to park considerately and to consider sharing lifts.

Vicar Steve Tash was unable to be at Tuesday's meeting but told council chairman Kim James he had been unaware of the problem.

"When he arrives at church there are no cars in the car park and when he leaves everyone has gone," Mr James said. "He is keen to resolve the issue of parking."

Churchwarden Malcolm Spriggs, who was at the meeting, has been asked to plead from the pulpit to get the message across and county councillor Susan Juned is to renew a previous attempt to have residents' parking bays created. The police will monitor the situation