A Bristol family with seven cars have been told they can only park one vehicle on their double driveway.

They are among a group of Hengrove residents furious at Bristol City Council for preventing them from parking two cars on their own double driveways.

The council says it is too dangerous for the residents on the 40mph stretch of Airport Road to park two cars in the space and then reverse onto the main road and that anyone who does is in breach of planning regulations.

But locals say this is a ridiculous rule and that it is in fact a lot safer to park on their driveway than to get out of a car on the busy A-road. Many angered neighbours have continued to park multiple cars on their driveways despite running the risk of a fine.

Kelly Lovell, who lives in Airport Road with her husband, two sons, and her son's fiance, has been given an enforcement notice by the council for parking two cars on her driveway.

She told the Post: "The council will only allow us to park one car on the drive because they say it's highway safety, but we still park two cars on the driveway because it's a lot safer to get our cars on the driveway rather than the roadside.

"We are supposed to drive on, do a three-point turn on the driveway and then be facing forward so we can drive off again rather than reverse onto the road."

Kelly, who has lived in Airport Road for 11 years, had the double driveway built three years ago, to accommodate two of the family's seven cars.

She has been forced to pay £170 to the council in an attempt to alter planning permission to allow her to park two cars, and awaits a response.

She says that for now she risks being fined £1,000 each time she parks two cars on her drive and could be taken to court for breaking planning rules.

Kelly, 46, who works nights for Yell 118 247, said: "There was a big road traffic accident on Airport Road on Saturday afternoon where a car had hit a parked car and bounced into another car and then rolled onto its side.

"This happened feet away from my house and could have been my car that was hit. Luckily no one was killed.

"Surely this crash just proves our point with how dangerous the road is. But the council still expects us to get out of our cars on the roadside.

"I would have thought they would be much happier that there are more cars off the road. We paid for the driveway to be done so why shouldn't we park our cars on our driveway?"

About 30 Airport Road residents have signed a petition calling on the council to let them use both their car parking spaces.

Jon Allen, from the Highways Agency Information Line, said: "Statistically you will be much safer exiting your vehicle whilst it is parked on a driveway than when it is parked alongside a public highway."

Kate Hartas, spokeswoman for Bristol City Council, said: "The council currently requires that anyone leaving their property onto a busy 40mph main road does so in forward gear.

"This applies to all houses from number 79 to the end of the road on both sides. The residents were granted planning permission in 2006 for one space on the condition that they would be able to turn around and leave the drive in forward gear.

"It would not be acceptable to reverse the car onto the road for safety reasons.

"Residents using the space for two cars either have no planning permission or are in breach. If the residents are unhappy they can appeal the condition and put in another planning permission to try and get the condition removed."