FED-UP residents near Ewood Park have been given assurances that parking problems on match days are slowly being solved.

Around 50 people were at a meeting organised by the police to discuss the problems around Blackburn Rovers' home ground.

Residents claimed their lives are being made a misery by inconsiderate motorists.

They say parking fines have little impact on large groups of visiting fans and supporters have little regard for local people.

The residents also claim parked cars often block roads and restrictions are ignored.

But police say the situation has improved in recent months because of falling crowds at Blackburn Rovers after their relegation from the Premiership.

A series of measures are also in the pipeline which include extra parking spaces and extra roads being included in 'residents only' parking schemes.

The police and community forum at St Bartholomew's School in Blackburn Road, Ewood, was attended by community leaders, local councillors and traffic officers.

Blackburn with Darwen Council has taken control of local land which can be used as match-day car parks.

Darwen Vale School has also agreed its land can be used as a temporary car park when Rovers play at home.

Sergeant Stuart Isherwood from the road policing unit said: "We will always have a problem at Ewood because of its location and the fact that access to the ground is limited.

"There are problems around the stadium with double parking and access for the emergency services.

"Once all the people are inside we do patrol the area looking for motorists who have broken parking regulations."

Police say they would prefer supporters to use public transport to get to the ground.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.