AN investigation by MPs into the laws surrounding pavement parking has been welcomed by East Lancashire’s highways bosses.

It is currently a grey area and only totally banned in London.

The issue has recently caused problems in Blackburn outside burger restaurant Frankie’s and PureGym in the town centre and in Whalley Range.

In March Cllr Hussain Akhtar was photographed with his BMW parked across a footpath in Whalley Range and the previous month fellow councillor Salim Sidat’s Jaguar was pictured on the pavement in front of Frankie’s.

Both would have contravened current laws.

Outside the capital, it is illegal for large lorries; where it obstructs the pavement, wheelchairs, prams, pushchairs, and pedestrians; and when used to avoid yellow lines and other restrictions.

Cllr Phil Riley, Blackburn with Darwen highways boss, welcomed the probe by the House of Commons Transport Select Committee but said any law changes had to take account of narrow terraced streets in East Lancashire.

Select committee chairwoman Lilian Greenwood MP, said: “This is an area where some people’s actions cause real difficulties for others.

“Parking on pavements risks the safety of all groups of people from the littlest to the oldest, with differing needs.”

Cllr Riley said: “This inquiry is welcome but any proposed law changes need to take account of narrow terraced streets found across Blackburn with Darwen and East Lancashire built long before there were so many cars.

“On these it may be necessary to park on the pavement, or partly on the footpath, for road safety reasons and to allow traffic flow.

“We also have to take account of the elderly, disabled, the partially-sighted and those with prams. The parking outside Frankie’s and PureGym clearly obstructed the pavement."

Lancashire highways boss Cllr Keith Iddon said: “I welcome this inquiry but we have to accept there are special circumstances in some narrow terraced streets where parking half on the pavement is unavoidable.

“However you often see cars parked carelessly and wholly on the footpath so older people with walking aids, those in wheelchairs or on scooters or mothers with buggies cannot get round them. That is totally unacceptable.

"It is a legal grey area that needs to be dealt with."