DRIVERS in Bewdley have been slammed for their "selfish and inconsiderate" approach to parking by the town's county councillor.

Frank Baillie, Worcestershire county councillor for Rock and Bewdley, took a swipe at the "I'll park where I like" attitude after a public consultation revealed 68 per cent of those questioned were in favour of traffic calming in residential streets around Cleobury Road.

Mr Baillie urged county engineers to "get on" with the scheme, which will see £223,500 of Government money provided under the Safer Routes To School initiative - but said there were "other traffic matters that need to be addressed urgently and robustly".

A two-day exhibition on the proposals was held in Bewdley's St George's Hall last month after the original scheme was scrapped in the summer.

This followed a public outcry that the plans for humps and bumps were excessive.

However, 73 per cent of residents quizzed last month felt speeding was a problem in the streets around Cleobury Road.

About a fifth of them were not in favour of the traffic calming, designed to make life safer for pupils of St Anne's First School and to reduce the annual number of accidents in the area by eight.

But Mr Baillie went on to highlight other town traffic problems, including people regularly jamming Load Street by parking on yellow lines, people parking illegally in disabled spaces, parking in High Street where it is not allowed, using Load Street as a "rat-run" to Dowles Road and large delivery vehicles causing chaos.

"Motorists in general - don't be so selfish and inconsiderate," he added.

The fresh traffic calming proposals were produced by a working group featuring members of the town, district and county councils, chamber of trade, police and residents.