THOUGHTLESS drivers parking cars outside Burnham’s coastguard and hovercraft stations are putting lives at risk.

Burnham’s hovercraft charity BARB has this week issued a warning to drivers not to park their vehicles outside its station in South Esplanade.

The charity claims some motorists parked vehicles outside its headquarters after Somerset County Council resurfaced the road in late September – but failed to repaint the double yellow lines.

The parked vehicles potentially prevent life-saving coastguard trucks and hovercrafts from attending emergency call-outs.

BARB operations manager Mike Lowe said: “It is potentially serious because vital seconds or minutes could be lost by our crews having to find motorists to move their vehicles.

“During our most recent call-out last week one of the crew had to politely ask a driver to move his car as the hovercraft was about to be taken out of the station to reach an incident.”

BARB has helped rescue more than 200 people in Somerset over the past 19 years and is run entirely by volunteers.

Mr Lowe added: “While we are grateful to the county council for resurfacing the road, the double yellow lines need to be restored as quickly as possible. We reported the matter to the council last week as an urgent matter.”

Harvey Siggs, cabinet member for Somerset County Council’s highways department, said action was demanded of its contractors within 24-hours of the issue being brought to the authority’s attention.

He said: “You can’t always compensate or plan for human error.

“Anyone parking there is parked on a ‘no parking at any time’ and we call on drivers to use their common sense.

“Lives should never be put at risk unnecessarily.”

A spokesman for Somerset County Council confirmed the double yellow lines have since been replaced.