Police in Swindon have begun towing away cars without any notice as part of their latest crackdown on illegal parking in the town.

On Wednesday, October 23, Wiltshire Police announced it was entering a new phase of its crackdown on bad parking in the Broadgreen area.

Now just two weeks on, two cars parked in alleyways in Broadgreen have now been towed without notice from the site.

The two black cars which completely blocked any other vehicle from passing through the alleyway were reportedly creating a serious hazard for emergency vehicles.

Since January, the force has issued around 119 warning notices to drivers obstructing alleyways as part of the Clear Hold Build operation.

This multi-agency project has seen police work with Swindon Borough Council’s parking enforcement officers to combat parking problems in the town.

The illegally parked cars in BroadgreenThe illegally parked cars in Broadgreen (Image: Wiltshire Police) As part of the scheme, council officers have given out more than 120 Penalty Charge Notices for a range of offences.

But police now say they will no longer give any notice before towing.

“Since the start of our operations at the beginning of this year, we’ve handed out more than 100 warning notices," said PCSO Chivers of Swindon Central South NPT.

“We will now be moving into this next phase of operations, where vehicles caught in the alleyways will be towed without warning.

“Any person in charge of a motor vehicle who causes or permits it to obstruct a road, including an alleyway, commits the offence.

“Should your vehicle be found parked illegally, you will either receive a fine or your vehicle may be towed.”

He added: “We know from the information we receive from the Broadgreen community that illegal parking in alleyways causes significant disruption for local residents.

“A single vehicle in an alleyway can cause huge issues for the local community, as well as the emergency services who are no longer able to easily navigate the area, which could potentially put lives at risk.

“To be clear, alleyways around Broadgreen and many other residential areas of Swindon form part of the highway and therefore constitute a road. This means they must be left clear of any disruption.

"We appreciate the huge disruption that illegal parking causes in Broadgreen, and we are pleased to report that on our patrols yesterday the alleyways were much clearer.

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