A GROUP of Chippenham residents face verbal abuse and long walks to and from the centre of town every day, because workers park outside their homes.

Jayne Dyer, who has lived on Flowers Yard for eight years, says her and her neighbours’ lives are being made a misery as people working in Chippenham use the street as a free car park.

The 52-year-old has collected more than 50 signatures as part of a petition calling for action to be taken, which she will present to Member of Parliament for Chippenham Michelle Donelan tomorrow.

“I’ve been abused by drivers because if we don’t move our cars quick enough in the morning, they start tooting,” said Mrs Dyer, who lives with her husband Ray, 71, and 10-year-old daughter Amelia.

“I’ve been shouted and sworn at in front of my child and next door’s children.

“Parking has always been a problem. I’ve written to the town council, Wiltshire Council and my MP but no-one does anything.”

Mrs Dyer added: “It’s from 7am in the morning all the way through to 7pm or 8pm at night and it’s mainly just people working in the town.

“I have to pay and park my car in the town and then carry my shopping up, and we’re just fed up of it.

“We have to keep running back and forth and then find a free space.

“We have had to have myself or my neighbours stand in the parking spot to save it while we go and get the car.

“My husband is disabled, he’s not in a wheelchair but has difficulty walking and he can’t walk any great distance and that’s a problem.”

Councillor Peter Hutton, chairman of the Planning, Environment and Transport committee at Chippenham Town Council, told the Gazette & Herald: “The Flowers Yard parking issue has been looked at by our committee which is taking it up with Wiltshire Council as the highways authority.”

A Wiltshire Council spokesman said: “We do appreciate the difficulties inconsiderate parking can cause, and would recommend people raise issues such as this through their local area board for consideration.”