Residents in a road close to Romford’s Queen’s Hospital have said they are fed up with not being able to park near their own homes.

In Wolseley Road, Birkbeck Road, Grosvenor Road and Liliput Road, residents say that arguments are a regular sight, and people have “come close to blows” over the issue.

James Perkins said: “Hospital staff are parking in our road, which causes problems with elderly residents and young mums having to park some distance away from their homes.

“We don’t blame the hospital staff as it currently costs them to park on the hospital grounds. Everyone’s opinion is that there is vast unused areas around the hospital that could be utilised for the staff to park their cars free of charge and we feel that this should be addressed by the council.”

“Some residents are so disappointed by the council’s attitude that they are considering standing in the next council elections.”

Norman Thatcher added: “People have a job to do but I think they should be able to park in their own car park.

“People have asked for residents’ parking spaces here before but the council don’t seem interested.”

He said that people have “come close to blows over ths issue” and that some residents have resorted to putting out their own cones in the road.

A spokesman for Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (BHRUT) said: “As your paper publicised for us recently, we are currently undertaking a travel survey for staff, patients and visitors.

“This will tell us how people travel to the hospital and also where they park.

“The findings of this survey will help to shape the Trust’s new travel plan which will address issues with access and car parking.

“We know that some staff do park in the roads near to our hospitals. They are regularly reminded to park with consideration for our neighbours.”

Cllr Barry Tebbutt, Havering Council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “We have stepped up our enforcement to stop local residents’ dropped kerbs being blocked.”