ELDERLY residents are being forced to move into the path of oncoming traffic to get out of their street because drivers are parking on the pavement.

Neighbours in Faringdon Walk say they are being put in danger because of the situation and have called for Bolton council or police to take action.

The issue has become a particular problem for those with mobility scooters who can only get past the cars by driving into the road, into the path of traffic driving in to the cul-de-sac.

And many have claimed to have been faced with abuse from drivers when they have asked them to move their cars and have now called for enforcement action to be taken.

Faringdon Walk resident Robert Hornby said: “We’ve asked the council to put yellow lines down and they say they won’t because they have no money. We’ve had this problem for over two years now. Many times I’ve had to drive my mobility scooter in the road and drive around to the main highway but then I get people honking their horns and screaming at me.”

Mr Hornby also claimed that drivers parking on the pavement had blocked an ambulance from getting into the street when his wife needed treatment last year.

Another neighbour, Anthony Robert,s said: “It seems to have worsened in the past few years. We used to get the odd car that was parked while someone went to the shop but since the university students started back that’s when it’s really worsened.”

He added: “There are people here who have mobility scooters who can’t get past and are forced to go into the centre of the road.”

According to a Bolton council spokesman the council has no enforcement powers because no restrictions are in place on the street.

Labour’s councillor for Great Lever Madeline Murray recently visited the site and said the council would be holding a meeting with Greater Manchester Police to try and come up with a solution.

“We tackled this problem a few years ago in Parrott Street and Shaw Street but we’ll have to sort something out here as well,” she added.

Nick Kelly, a spokesman for the University of Bolton whose students have been blamed for most of the parking problems on the road, said: "The University of Bolton offers parking at Orlando Village Halls of Residence and students were advised of the parking arrangements during induction. The University has provided additional shuttle bus services to the University from this location throughout the day at frequent regular intervals. The University has not received any contact from the police or Bolton Council in relation to car parking."