RESIDENTS living opposite a row of shops in Sandiway are at the end of their tether over drivers who park inconsiderately.

Commercial success for the Fir Lane and Mere Lane shops is coming at the price of peace of mind for homeowners sick of noise, litter and blocked pavements and drives.

After tolerating the problem for a number of years, the mainly elderly residents have called on drivers to respect their community.

Shoppers park on the pavement, on the white lines designed to help disabled people cross and across or even in residents' drives.

Delivery vans blocking the road, drivers disobeying Fir Lane's one-way street policy and late-night noise and disturbance are also concerns.

Vale Royal's Cuddington and Oakmere councillors, Deputy Liberal Democrat Group Leader Val Godfrey and Conservative David Parks-Smith, have backed residents' fight to re-claim the streets.

Cllr Godfrey said: 'All these residents say they enjoy living in Fir Lane, they all look after each other, it's a really nice little community - but two are talking about moving away because of the daily struggles about parking and the others are reaching the end of their tether.'

Cllr Parks-Smith added: 'We know there are problems with inconsiderate parking in other areas but these elderly residents have been having problems for a long time and are getting fed up with the lack of action.'

When confronted, drivers are being rude and unhelpful, as Fir Lane resident Joan Berry discovered.

She said: 'I asked a man not to park over the drive as the chemist would be leaving to deliver oxygen to a sick gentleman - the driver told me there was oxygen all around in the air and I just needed to breathe in.'

Neighbour Margaret George said: 'Whenever I've pointed out to drivers that they are causing a problem, all I get is abuse.

'If you had a wheelchair you would end up having to use the road - you couldn't use the pavement.'

Businesses also recognise the problem.

Edward Parker, manager of Bargain Booze on Fir Lane, said: 'I'm not a resident in the area but if I was living here then I could see it being a problem, people parking in driveways.

'There's parking facilities around the corner at the library and shops but a lot of people are not prepared to walk around the corner.

'Sometimes people park their cars outside of our store then go around the corner to the library or shops so we have this problem as well.' Cllr Godfrey says residents are keen to balance the needs of local trade with their concerns and said: 'We don't want to do anything that will affect the trade at the local shops but we're hoping that we can make drivers more aware of the misery they are causing.

'Also, Cuddington Parish Council is asking the local authority if the width of the pavement next to the shops could be reduced - more cars could then park.'