�Residents are urging the council to put in place permit parking on their street to prevent commuters using the road as a car park.

People from Clifton Road, Hornchurch, say their street is so crammed with cars that an ambulance had to block the road because there was nowhere to pull over.

The long-term problem has recently been made worse by an influx of workers from a nearby building site, who have been leaving their vehicles in the road.

Disabled

Esmeralda Worman said the lack of parking was a problem for her and her partner, as they are disabled.

The 64-year-old, who �describes herself as a dwarf person, said: “Although I haven’t got a car this affects me enormously.

“Friends have to stop in the middle of the road so I can get out of the car, which means other traffic is blocked, and an ambulance had to do the same thing last week.

“People park in our road and then walk to Romford for work or to get the train, but it’s really bad now with all the workmen.

“I have lived in this road for 37 years and the problem has gone from bad to worse.”

Mum-of-two Samantha �Underwood, 37, whose children are under five, said the lack of parking made it difficult for her to go out.

She said: “The problem with parking is a long-term one, but it’s �increased ten-fold because of builders now parking in our road.

“Every street apart from ours and Park Lane have �permits, so we’ve got all �the workers plus all the people who usually leave their cars in our road taking up all the spaces like a car park.

“The other roads are ghost towns.”

Residents have asked for a permit system, but are frustrated at the time this has taken. Mrs Underwood said: “We had a meeting last year but it just keeps getting dragged on.”

Cllr Barry Tebbutt, Havering Council’s cabinet �member for environment, said it had drafted proposals to include Clifton Road in the residential parking scheme.

“These will be advertised as soon as possible.”