Thoughtless motorists delayed firefighters responding to two emergency calls around Tunbridge Wells last week.

In the first incident on Thursday (July 21), a fire engine en route to Brookfield Court was forced to reverse out onto the main road, causing a delay in reaching the property.

The same day, double-parked cars parked close to the junction in Springfield Road in Southborough brought another engine using blue lights to a halt.

Both calls turned out to be false alarms but Tunbridge Wells crew manager Keith Ward said it is only a matter of time before lives are put at risk.

He said: “We understand that parking can be tight and that people like to park as close as possible to their homes, but blocked roads are causing serious issues and it is worrying because as we know that every second counts when we attend emergency calls.

Mr Ward added: “We are pleading with residents to have more consideration and to think more carefully when they are parking about whether a fire engine, or any other emergency vehicle could get through.

"Remember, we could be on our way to a life-threatening incident -we might even be trying to reach you - and any delay caused by poor parking could have devastating consequences.”