Rescue team to ticket drivers blocking doors

A rescue team said it had "no choice" but to bring in parking wardens to ticket drivers blocking their doors.

North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team (NDSART) said drivers had been parking in front of the garage door at its building on the Exeter Road Industrial Estate in Okehampton.

It said this meant its vehicles could not get out and respond to 999 calls, including an incident in May when the door was blocked by a van for 10 minutes while the team tried to respond to reports of an injured person.

NDSART, which responds to calls 24/7, said it had now brought in a parking company to help keep access clear.

The team said the company will start issuing warning tickets to anyone parked where they should not be.

NDSART said the problem started in 2017 and had increased over the years.

It said it would rather not take that sort of action but added "every second counts" when responding to callouts.

A spokesperson for the team said: "You never know when you may need the help of emergency services.

"The next life we save could be yours."

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