A CAR boot sale caused chaos in a Worcester village, with traffic queues blocking off side roads and people's drives.

Residents worried about the transfer of the Sunday sales from the Ketch, Bath Road, Broomhall, to Bight Farm, Kempsey, raised their complaints with the parish council this week.

Members heard that traffic was nose-to-tail all the way down the main road at the first Kempsey sale on September 25. There were fears that emergency vehicles would not be able to get through.

Bob Stokes, of Kempsey Sports Association, said teams arriving to take part in matches had to wait in traffic jams for up to an hour, risking fines for being late. "At least the organisers of the car boot sale could have liaised with people and organisations in Kempsey.

"The first we knew of it was when a few signs appeared on the Saturday night," he said.

Chairman Ray Ellis said the parish council had been notified by the landowner, David Darby, before the first sale. The council had no power to prevent it, but traffic offences should be reported to the police.

Kempsey beat manager Alan Naulls said traffic congestion had been very bad at the first sale, but everything went smoothly at the second one, which was held on October 2. "I stayed for almost the entire proceedings and it was fine. Maybe the traffic flow was lighter because people got fed up the first time," he said.

Mr Darby had now agreed to suspend the sales until next spring, when they will start again at the Ketch. But not everyone objected to car boot sales being held in Kempsey.

"Some people rather liked the sale being here," said Joy Clee.