ACTION is being demanded to stop car sales taking place in a town’s on-street parking spots and lay-bys.

Connah’s Quay councillor Bernie Attridge is angry that traders selling cars are blocking the town’s lay-bys along High Street.

He said the problem has got so bad a hearse and mourners were prevented from pulling up by the church for a funeral.

He said: “In front of the precinct there are lay-bys all the way up as far as the church and they are just being filled with cars for sale.

“My issue is a genuine private sale would be fine, but it’s the same phone number on all the cars. There’s genuine traders who pay lets and rates and council tax to have a showroom to sell cars and then people just use the lay-bys and pay no rates.”

He added: “The problem is getting worse. I attended a funeral a few weeks ago at St Mark’s Church on the Quay hill and the hearse and family car could not get near the church due to cars for sale in lay-bys.”

Cllr Attridge raised his concerns at the last meeting of Connah’s Quay Town Council and members agreed to write to the planning enforcement officer at Flintshire Council to ask for something to be done.

The town council has now received a response from the council who have said they will look to work with the town’s community beat manager in a bid to tackle the problem.

A spokesman for Flintshire Council said: “Traders are required to disclose the fact that they are a trader when selling goods and legislation also prevents traders selling two cars on the public highway within 500 metres of each other.

“The public protection department is aware of the issues and is monitoring the situation.”