Inconsiderate drivers who illegally park and block roads are putting people's lives at risk.

Fire crews in Brighton and Hove are finding it difficult to get to jobs because of people double parking or parking on yellow lines.

Craig Thompson, divisional officer at East Sussex Fire Brigade, said: "A lot of problems are caused by illegal or inconsiderate parking.

"The problem is especially bad on the entrances and exits of roads. It makes it really difficult for us to get to jobs.

"We know parking is hard in Brighton and Hove and many of the streets are quite narrow but we need to have access to places and people should realise this.

"People parking badly does not actually prevent us getting to jobs but it does make life harder. Every second can mean a lot when a building is on fire."

A spokeswoman for the city council said: "We said right from the moment we took over responsibility for parking in the city that we would be unmoving in our efforts to keep streets clear of illegally-parked traffic.

"One of the main reasons for this is because they are a safety hazard. We will continue to prosecute or issue penalty tickets to people who park in this selfish manner.

"We would urge people not to park in this way as it actively endangers people's lives. Motorists should be well aware of this.

"If residents notice a persistent problem of this kind in the street where they live, they should contact one of the parking information centres which will send attendants out."

Contact the Brighton parking information centre on 01273 293225 or the Hove parking centre on 01273 292426.