Waste collection crews in Somerset are distributing ‘please park carefully’ notices in a bid to solve parking problems on narrow streets in case of an emergency.

Staff working for Somerset Waste Partnership (SWP) contractor Suez are putting polite notices from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service on the windscreens of problem parkers.

With more people working from home due to the Coronavirus lockdown, inconsiderate parking has become a problem for both fire crews and rubbish collectors alike, as additional, inconsiderately parked cars, make it harder for recycling and rubbish collections trucks to negotiate narrower streets.

This has resulted in crews being unable to make collections, and if recycling trucks cannot get through, fire engines will not be able to either, which has led to the fire service becoming increasingly concerned crews could be delayed getting to an emergency incident because of inconsiderate parking.

Mickey Green and Sarah Dyke from the SWP said: “With the amounts of recycling and rubbish being put out, our crews are working really hard.

“Not being able to collect because they can’t get down a street, makes their job even harder and causes disruption to services.

“We know it can be hard for people to find somewhere to park at the moment, but we would ask people to think about this, especially on their collection day.

“For the emergency services, it could be a matter of life and death. With more cars at home all day we know it is tough, but please do think when you park.”

Station manager Dan Taylor said: “We have noticed that an increasing number of homeowners want to park their vehicles directly outside their properties without considering that access may be required for fire appliances in an emergency.

“Some of the streets are narrow even without parked cars. Obviously, the size of our vehicle being what it is, we need slightly more room to manoeuvre than a car.”