WIRRAL'S walkways are cracking up under the impact of illegally parked cars, a report has revealed.

Pavement and verge parking in the borough costs in the region of £40,000 a year – most of which is spent on repairs to flagged footways.

Wirral Council can take action to recover the cost of repairs through the Magistrates’ Court if it can be proved that damage to surfaces was caused by individual drivers.

But councillors have been told that within current legislation no further action is normally taken against offending motorists where sufficient room is left for free passage and cars are parked so as not to cause danger or identifiable damage.

Members of Wirral Council’s regeneration and environment policy and performance committee have been told that to date 100 warning leaflets have been issued relating to obstructive pavement parking – but no persistent offenders have been identified to involve further police intervention.

The report comments: “The issue is particularly sensitive for the public and members alike and is the subject of many inquiries to Streetscene.

“Parkers are generally aware that they should not be parking on the pavement or verge, but they persists for a variety of reasons.

"Pavement and verge parking is a major problem at peak times outside most of the schools in the borough.”

Several pilot verge and pavement schemes have been introduced across the borough which have been “reasonably well “respected by motorists.