ANGRY Weymouth residents are battling a rising tide of threats and abuse from drivers trying to dodge parking charges.

People living in parts of Newstead Road and Granville Road claim they are the unwitting victims of motorists cruising further afield to evade the council's expansion of its pay-and-display parking scheme.

They say that drivers flooding into their roads hurl abuse and threats when they try and discuss the problem.

Some cars are left parked for weeks, say residents, and they have now petitioned the council to include both streets in a new residents' parking scheme because of the stress from parking and clashes with drivers.

No one knows the problem better than Yvonne Ablett, of cul-de-sac Granville Road, who recently retired as a council traffic warden.

She said: "It is murder to park here. When I tried to discuss the situation with several drivers they just gave me a load of abuse and said they paid their road tax and could park anywhere they wanted to. The sooner we get a residents' parking scheme here the better."

Neighbour Susan Miller said that weekends were the worst. She added: "Boatmen used to park free near the magistrates' court, but they have to pay now so they are bringing their cars into our road for free parking. We've had enough."

Next door neighbour Vivienne Andrews said some holidaymakers arrived, unloaded their buckets and spades and left their car there all day.

She added: "Some even leave their car there for the whole of their fortnight's stay.

"It may be legal for them to do this but what about us? What about our inconvenience, our lives and our rights? We want a residents' parking scheme and we want it badly."

Neighbours Sandy Moxom and Sandy Francis said the problem put their joint roofing scheme back three weeks because roofers could not park to deliver tiles. More strong feelings were aired round the corner in Newstead Road where petition organiser Lorraine Penketh appealed to the Echo.

She said: "Please can you help us in any way because when we try to put our view to the offenders we end up with abuse and aggressive attitudes.

"The whole of the neighbourhood is at its wits end. It is absolutely horrendous."

Neighbour Paula Leigh says spaces outside homes are at a premium, and that some cars have been parked for up to three weeks. When police investigated they said the owners were on holiday in Jersey.

She said: "I have been sworn at and threatened by drivers and enough is enough. We have to get a parking scheme."

Engineer Tony Alston said it was often impossible for him to park when he got home from work and he added: "When I try to discuss it with drivers I have to walk away because I just get a mouthful of abuse.

"We all try to be reasonable but sometimes it is very hard."

A spokesman for the council said the matter was being investigated.