RESIDENTS have been warned that parking on the road could be fatal if the emergency services are blocked from getting to accidents.

Blue watch, at Thornaby Fire Station, has called on drivers to park considerately following two incidents when their way was blocked by badly parked cars.

The first incident was in Grange Road, when a car prevented the fire brigade from getting to a house fire.

Although the home owner and her child escaped the blaze, the fire brigade could not get through until the driver had been asked to move the vehicle.

The firefighters were further angered to find the vehicle had been returned to its parking space when they tried to leave.

Station officer Ian Dunning said yesterday: "Just remember, we are a heavy goods vehicle and, if you can't fit a bus through, you won't fit a fire engine through."

The second incident happened in Holmes Close, in the early hours of the morning.

The fire brigade was forced to put on the engine's emergency sirens to wake up a resident and get them to move their car, which was blocking access to a shed fire.

Station Officer Dunning said: "A lot of people park in their roads, thinking that there are only cars coming through. At any time, you could have a fire engine coming through."