A CAMPAIGN to stop motorists parking on dropped kerbs around the town is being launched in Clitheroe.

The group, which includes Shop Mobility head and wheelchair user Coun Simon O’Rourke, said that kerbs should be clearly marked with white paint and that fines should increase to help deter car owners.

Families with push-chairs have also spoken out against the problem stating that the kerbs are there to help them and not designed for easy parking.

Coun O’Rourke, who is a member of the town council, said: “While traffic wardens in Clitheroe do hand-out fines, they do not patrol the area enough and people are getting away with it.

“There should be more consideration for people in wheelchairs or with pushchairs because if a dropped kerb is blocked, there might not be another one for quite a way down the street.

“A meeting should be set up with Lancashire County Council to make them more aware of the issue, and in turn, educate drivers about the desperate need to keep dropped kerbs clear.

“The areas are not clearly marked and the problem is made worse by the rules being different in each council area.”

Mary Robinson, who uses a pushchair when looking after her grandchildren, said: “Nobody knows that this is such a big issue for people because it does not affect the majority of the town’s residents.

“But for families and wheelchair users it’s a huge problem that needs to be sorted as quickly as possible.

“Drivers should be more aware of where they are parking and should think of other people’s needs more.”

Andy Ashcroft, high-ways manager for Ribble Valley said: “If people have concerns about dropped kerbs, they should contact us and we’ll look into it.”