RESIDENTS of Chepstow have been battling with the issue of illegal parking on the high street for years.

Chepstow High Street is a restricted, 'no-stopping' zone, but this rule does not appear to stop shoppers from parking there regardless.

Many locals have appealed to Monmouthshire County Council for the installation of double yellow lines, including Jessica Duff, who said that when cars are parked there, "it's so difficult to cross with my child and pram."

Allana Allsopp also agreed that the parking was causing a hazard to elderly and disabled when crossing the road.

Drivers have been using the high street to park for free, to avoid paying 'expensive parking fees' in the car parks in the town.

Responding to the image of the nine cars and vans parked illegally on the high street, Jason Thomas said it is "nice to see town looking busy."

"If they put yellow lines down it will make town even more quiet than it already is," he said.

"Introduce free parking and then maybe more people will come."

Kenneth Gore suggested making the whole of Dell Car Park free for the first 30 minutes, as that "would probably stop it."

"Two pounds for two hours is ridiculous! You can't spend two hours in town - there is nothing there," Kenneth said.

Jeremy Whittington is in agreement. He said: "To be honest it’s good to see people are actually using these shops and to be fair, to pay to park just to nip in and get a pasty if that’s what these folk eat what’s the harm?

"It’s not like the town is a busy pedestrian town. Let’s have a bigger short term free stay car park that would end all this and bring more people into town."

A spokesperson for the council said they are reviewing parking across all of Monmouthshire.

A spokesperson for MCC said: “Monmouthshire County Council is currently reviewing car parking provision across the county.

"There are two free car parks in Chepstow, which we would encourage short stay visitors to use.”