Yatton parking crackdown

Police are warning drivers that they risk getting ticketed if they park illegally in Yatton High Street.

Officers have introduced a zero tolerance approach to crack down on nuisance drivers who use the bus stop and layby outside the NatWest bank in the precinct as a car park while they go and shop.

Buses are often forced to pick up passengers in the road as the bus stop is blocked, causing traffic to tail back along the High Street, leading to congestion and queues.

Traders in the village have complained to police about the traffic chaos caused by drivers parking there.

Yatton Retailers Association chairman Mark Loader, who owns Loaders Hardware in the High Street, said: "There are problems with people parking in the bus stop which causes an inconvenience to other people in the High Street and means the traffic backs up on the road.

"There is plenty of free parking available in Yatton for customers, so there is no need to park in the bus stop."

The police crackdown comes just weeks after Yatton Local Action Team launched a road safety week to encourage people to drive more safely through the village.

Team members launched a scheme asking people to sign a pledge to reduce their speed and drive carefully while travelling through Yatton, with more than 100 drivers signing up.

LAT chair David Ford said: "People have to understand that if they are going to leave their cars to use the facilities in the village they need to park sensibly and not cause a hazard to pedestrians or other road users."