A LORRY which had just collected a delivery from a paint company was stranded for more than an hour when the driver became stuck between vehicles parked by the company's staff.

The lorry had just picked up a delivery from Akzo Nobel in Hollins Road, Darwen.

But staff from the former Crown Berger company who park their vehicles in Sandringham Road prevented the driver leaving the area.

The heavy goods vehicle was stranded in the road way for more than an hour while the drivers of the parked cars were located in Crown House.

Now residents of Sandringham Road, who have organised a petition against the parkers, are to ask Blackburn Council to make the area a permit holders only parking zone to stop any more hold-ups.

Linda Wilkinson, said: "We get a driver knocking on our doors three or four times a week telling us to move our cars because they can't get through. "Sometimes they can be really abusive, but the truth is most of the cars belong to staff at Crown and it can take ages for the driver to come out and move the vehicle."

Mrs Wilkinson said that if a neighbour needed an ambulance it would not be able to get through.

David Hills, managing director of Akzo Nobel, was unavailable for comment, but in a letter to the residents he said: "We have in the past and will continue to ask our employees to refrain from parking in Sandringham Road although there is no legal justification for doing so.

"We are looking at ways of increasing the number of car parking places within our own premises and are progressing with two schemes which we hope will alleviate the problem."

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