POLICE have recognised that dodgy parking in Wellington is frustrating residents and causing tensions to rise.

Sgt Jon O’Connor told members of Wellington Town Council on May 1 that he appreciated that inconsiderate parking was becoming a “very contentious issue.”

He made his comments after being questioned by Cllr Steve Mercer during the council’s annual meeting.

Cllr Mercer said a number of people had spoken to him about traffic and parking problems in Wellington.

And Sgt O’Connor said: “If someone gets a ticket for parking – I don’t think it really does a lot.”

He said educating people about parking considerately was more effective than dishing out financial penalties.

“If somebody in a uniform stands by a car it is surprising how quickly the owner runs back to it,” he said. “I don’t think a fine is always a deterrent.”

But Sgt O’Connor admitted that police resources were stretched and officers would not be able to respond to every incident of bad parking.

“If we ticket one person we’d have to start giving out tickets to hundreds and it’s all about time,” he said. “Obviously if there is an incident involving dangerous and obstructive parking we will come out to intervene.”

Sgt O’Connor said that parking problems were escalated because it is the norm now for each house to have more than one vehicle.

“Families have more than one car these days and that has a knock-on effect with parking,” he said. “It is an emotive issue and tensions do rise.”

A Wellington resident expressed their frustration over parking enforcement measures in a town centre social housing estate, as reported by the Wellington Weekly News six months ago.

Chris Lech, of Old Court Mews, claimed "Residents were confused about the rules and regulations" and that the enforcement regime had created "a sense of frustration and discontent within our community."

A disabled resident who use a mobility scooter wrote to the newspaper in March to complain about a car which has been parked blocking a dropped kerb at the turning of Bulford and Twyford Place, while firefighters often remind residents to park considerately to minimise obstacles for fire engines.