MOTORISTS who cause dangerous and expensive damage by parking on pavements will find themselves on the wrong side of the law, following the launch of a new safety drive in Blackpool.

Council highways chiefs and the police have issued a joint warning for drivers to make pavements clear for pedestrians following a major clampdown which started on Monday.

The message they want to put across is simple - Pavements are for People, Think About Where You Park.

Highways chairman Roy Fisher said Town Hall bosses were fed up of wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds a year on repairs to broken and uneven kerb stones.

The council forks out £400,000 annually on maintaining the footways, with much of the damage being caused by vehicles.

Coun. Fisher said: "Vehicles, especially vans and lorries, are the main cause of damage to our pavements and they obstruct pedestrians too.

"We are appealing to the drivers of such vehicles to steer clear of pavements for the benefit of people across town.

"Damaged and uneven pavements are difficult to walk on and can lead to accidents, plus the money being spent on repairs could be saved and used in other areas."

The initiative has won the backing of police road safety officers who say traffic wardens will be issuing fixed penalty notices to motorists blocking footpaths and may even arrange for vehicles to be towed away.

Inspector Brian Horrocks said: "The police are in full support of this campaign. Driving and parking on pavements is both dangerous and illegal and must be stopped.

"Police and traffic wardens will be taking enforcement action against drivers who park and drive on pavements, particularly in areas heavily used by pedestrians such as in the town centre."

The council is calling on town centre businesses, public service organisations in particular, to support the initiative.

And motorists can't say they haven't been warned, because the message will also be hammered home in a number of other ways, including an information leaflet and promotional messages on buses.

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