PARKED cars blocked the route of a fire engine answering an emergency call at shaldon.

The delay has prompted the police to warn: 'Next time it could cost a life.'

And the fire chief has declared that, in really bad incidents, owners could be prosecuted.

The fire tender from Teignmouth was responding to a 999 call after a resident carrying out a DIY job drilled through a cable, causing a small explosion in Marine Parade.

But the vehicle came to an abrupt halt in the Strand because of thoughtless and illegal parking.

Eventually the owners were found, and the cars moved, to clear the route. Otherwise, the fire engine would have forced its way through, causing damage.

The Police Community Support Officer for the village, Colin Rider, has now appealed for motorists to park more considerately.

'Laziness and personal convenience should not override safety and parking restrictions, as well as access for other road users and the emergency services,' he said.

'There is no given right to park on a road, and it is an offence to park on double yellow lines.

'Drivers must remember that long and wide vehicles cannot manoeuvre with the same ease as a normal car through narrow spaces.

'Vital minutes can be lost to emergency vehicles on a call out, including paramedics, firefighters and police.

'This could cost lives. Remember it could be you, a family member or a friend put at risk because of thoughtless parking.'

Teignmouth station commander Ian Radford reiterated the 'think first' message, and said the worst trouble spots were usually in narrow village streets in the area.

'It can happen up to twice a week, and where we have encountered problems, we place leaflets on cars asking the owners to park more sensibly. It is increasing because more and more cars are being left on the road because of a shortage of off-road parking.

'We do not want to be heavy handed, but minutes, and even seconds, can be the difference between life and death situations at times.

'As a last resort we will manhandle cars out of the way, or even just barge through. In bad incidents we will ask the police to prosecute.'