INDISCRIMINATE parking in Bovey Tracey is getting worse and the blame has been planted firmly at the door of Teignbridge Council.

The mayor, Cllr Avril Kerswell, told the town council meeting on Monday that the district authority had inflicted car parking charges on the town and people were now parking in the streets and side roads.

'The whole thing has got out of hand and things are getting worse,' said Cllr Kerswell.

The subject aired during the public speaking period and a resident of Parkelands, Derek Haywood said the situation had worsened since the introduction of car parking charges.

'It is farther to walk to the town if they park in my road than if they parked in the car park, but they park here now. That alone proves it is the charges,' he maintained.

The matter had been highlighted by Simon Smith, who said vehicles were also parking on double yellow lines outside the Riverside Surgery, in Le Molay Littry Way when there were two car parks within easy walking distance, and buses that go through the town from Plymouth and Exeter had difficulty passing vehicles parked in the main streets.

He suggested they should be re-routed around Le Molay Littry Way.

The deputy mayor, Cllr David Risdon, said he would fight to keep the present bus routes adding that it was the traffic problem that needed sorting out.

Cllr David Elphick said the council had previously asked Stagecoach about the possibility of changing the route, but was told it could not be altered because of time-tabling.

Cllr Kerswell pointed out that parking on double yellow lines was an offence and she suggested a complaint could go to Devon County Council or the police.

'We could ask our traffic warden to wander down Le Molay Littry Way, even if it is a case of having a stern word with people. If they are not disabled, slap a ticket on. It is just being lazy,' she said.

Ian Hutchings disputed the fact that charging for car parking had caused all the problems.

He suggested a one-way system through the town with traffic calming measures to slow vehicles down.

Cllr Kerswell said in the past the council had looked into a one-way system, but county highways had decided it would not work for many reasons.

'In view of the traffic improvements in Fore Street we hope it will slow traffic down,' she said.

Cllr Risdon said traffic flow would play a major part in the parish plan and with a range of consultation, he urged the public to get involved in it.