ANGRY Droitwich residents are fed up with drivers using their parking spaces to avoid paying to park in the town centre.

Edward Vernalls, of Hampton Road, is sick and tired of workers taking up precious parking spaces during lunchtime trips to the pubs and shops.

He said that these people are making residents' lives a nightmare simply to avoid paying in official car parks.

The 36-year-old also fears that by taking up these spaces, which are often used by retained fire fighters on call, there will be delays in response times to blazes.

"If they have nowhere to park, then this could possibly mean another two to three minutes delay before the fire engines get out on the scene.

"People's lives will be at risk," he said.

He added that taxi drivers also used the road to wait between jobs and that other inconsiderate drivers would block in the residents' cars.

Mr Vernalls' mother, 62-year-old Eileen, added: "It's really bad some days and it makes me feel frustrated and angry.

"We have had abuse from one or two of the drivers when we have confronted them about parking here."

Mr Vernalls said that Wychavon district council has offered to paint double yellow lines along the road.

"Then the residents themselves would get parking tickets," added the driver.

Sally Everest, of the highways partnership unit in Wychavon, said that there were currently no plans in place to put parking restrictions on the road, although measures could not be ruled out as an option in the future.

John Das-Gupta, of Droitwich fire station, said: "We have not experienced any issues with the retained firefighters here being delayed when attending the station after being called to an incident."