ANGIE McLachlan had a shock when she opened her front door – there was nowhere to go.

An illegally parked car on the pavement outside her Portland home meant she couldn’t get out with her work equipment.

Angie, who has no rear access to her home, condemned the actions of the inconsiderate driver who parked his Mitsubishi Pajero in Reforne, Easton.

A tiny gap between the vehicle and the terraced house meant she was just able to squeeze through.

But she says it would have been impossible to get equipment through if she had been called out to work in her roles as a healthcare practitioner and an on-call embalmer.

Emergency services would also have encountered problems if they had been called to the house.

“It felt like I was trapped in my own home,” Angie said.

She and her neighbours called police to report the obstruction but because of other commitments officers could not attend until later, by which time the car had been removed.

Angie did manage to collar the driver who eventually appeared. She described him as ‘sheepish’ and he gave a ‘mumbling apology’ before driving off.

Angie, 50, said: “I understand the car had been there all night and it was not shifted until 11.26am.

“I know the exact time because I was sat here waiting for him.”

She added: “I couldn’t believe it when I opened my door.

“Because of the front porch the pavement outside my house is only 28 inches wide and the car was parked more than halfway across.

“Reforne is a busy road and anyone walking by was forced to go onto the road.

“I felt it necessary to stand outside and explain to people walking past what the situation was and offered to help a few elderly people and mums with pushchairs.

“I even found myself apologising for something that wasn’t my fault.”

Angie said although there is a lack of parking spaces in the area, the driver could have parked on the road outside her house without any problem.

She added: “I am pro-police but the feedback from the police wasn’t frightfully helpful or supportive.”

Sergeant Yvonne Bevan of Portland Safer Neighbourhood Team said officers had other commitments yesterday, which took priority and prevented them from attending immediately.

Sgt Bevan added: “We take this issue seriously and in fact when officers were free they went out prepared to issue a ticket but by that time the car had gone.

“We have a registration and will be visiting the driver to give words of advice.” Sgt Bevan said officers would monitor the situation and she urged residents to report all obstructions.