Angry Westlea residents have spoken out over an influx of students who have turned roads in the area into a car park.

Now there are fears there will be accidents as pedestrians are forced into traffic by inconsiderate drivers.

Vehicles have piled up in Welton Road since Oxford Brookes University moved to the nearby Delta Business Park last year, and meetings with the council have failed to prevent the parking problems returning with the start of the academic year.

Eve Rose, who lives nearby, said: “We’ve gone from the passing car which stops at the bank and the shop to a dangerous car park.

“They are parking on both sides of the road and the pavement, and you can’t walk past there now, let alone use a pram or mobility scooter.

“We have had meetings with Brookes University but nothing comes of it. And it’s just going on and on.

“The council knew how many students it was going to be taking in. They say they want people to come by public transport, but there isn’t any by here.”

Coun Mary Martin, Swindon Borough Council's Cabinet member for Communities and Place, said: "It is wholly unacceptable that Oxford Brookes have not put in place appropriate provision for their students to travel by public transport, or to park on site.

"It is just not reasonable to create this level of disruption and inconvenience for local residents."

Coun Jim Robbins, the Labour shadow spokesman for Strategic Planning and Transport, said: “I think the key thing is that we are really pleased that the university is operating in Swindon, and that the new term means that there are lots more students using the site.

“But clearly, we need to work with the university and the council to make sure that local residents aren’t having their driveways blocked.

“We have to make sure that the university are passing out the message to all their students, saying this has been an issue.”

A spokesman for Oxford Brookes university said: “Over the summer, the University has been looking at a range of solutions to improve parking at the Swindon Campus and the surrounding area, which has included reducing student parking fees by 50 per cent.

“September is a particularly busy time of the year as all of our students are enrolling for the new semester. Once normal timetabling resumes, there will be fewer students travelling to the campus at any one time. Oxford Brookes has a strong commitment to sustainable travel and we continue to promote and support both students and staff to use public transport, car share, or other forms of travel.”