It's just coincidence, according to the council! Just a week after a Citizen reader snapped a police van parked across a town centre pavement, Blackpool Council put up 'no loading' signs in the exact same spot.

Two notices, prohibiting loading at all times, appeared on either side of Clifton Street, Blackpool February 8, on wide paved areas bordering general and disabled parking bays.

The council claim the signs have been in the pipeline for a while, and were brought-in partly because motorists have been parking where they shouldn't.

"People have been parking on Clifton Street illegally and causing problems for some of the disabled drivers there," said a council spokeswoman.

She said other measures, such as dropped kerbs, will also be put in place to improve access for disabled people on Clifton Street. The dropped kerbs will go in 'particular spots' where disabled drivers have struggled to get onto the pavement after parking their cars in designated bays, she said.

Last week, the Citizen published a photograph taken by a Poulton woman who was angry that a police van had parked on the pavement on Clifton Street while the officer visited a nearby sandwich shop.

The woman, who had just been fined £30 by Blackpool Council officers for overstaying her space on a parking meter by nine minutes, said the van was blocking access for disabled people and accused the police of 'taking advantage of their position'.

Blackpool Police began an investigation, and Inspector Stuart Noble told the Citizen: "We do take these things extremely seriously.

"We have identified the officer and will be progressing the matter internally."

He added: "We are in no ways exempt from parking restrictions. As an emergency service there are obviously certain circumstances in the course of duty when officers do at times need to park.

"This does not appear to have been one of those occasions."

He said the officer was 'on legitimate inquiries' at a nearby building society, but he added: "That being said, it still doesn't excuse the manner in which he was parked."