AN ingenious invention designed to stop cars parking on pavements might one day be seen in Swindon.

The Catclaw, invented by Yannick Read of the Environmental Transport Association, is a small devise that sits on the edge of the pavement and punctures tyres when motorists drive their cars over them.

It comes ahead of a public meeting this Friday, organised by councillors in Rodbourne, to give residents a chance to have their say on the recurring traffic issues that plague the area.

Labour’s Mannington and Western councillors Jim Robbins, Kevin Small and Steph Exell are keen to explain the solutions being proposed by the council and to see if there is a agreement on how to proceed.

Coun Robbins said: “Residents in the Rodbourne area are rightly concerned that the traffic has got considerably worse and were outraged by the lack of reaction from the administration.

“With the Snow Dome development currently going through the planning process, people are worried that the traffic will only get worse unless real action is taken. We want people to come along and have their say to make sure that we can fully represent their views to the borough.”

As well as traffic jams caused by cars attending the Outlet Centre, other problems reported by residents in the Rodbourne area include motorists parking their cars thoughtlessly on pavements, obstructing pedestrians and other vehicles.

This last is something the Catclaw device is designed to tackle.

Inventor Yannick said: “Last year 43 people were killed by cars as they walked on pavements. It’s illegal to drive on the pavement, there’s no excuse to do it. So if you’re not breaking the law your tyres are safe.”

Yannick explained that the device is not yet at the stage where it is ready to be rolled out across the country, but the ETA is in the process of approaching various local authorities who might consider using it.

He could not confirm if it would be come to Swindon anytime soon but said there was no reason why, once it has been shown to work, it could not be used to tackle the problems that persist in Rodbourne and other areas.

The meeting will take place at 7pm on Friday, March 16 at the Even Swindon Community Centre. Everyone is welcome to attend.