ROYAL Wootton Bassett police punished a pavement parker on Sunday.

Officers received a report of a vehicle parked illegally on Royal Wootton Bassett High Street and blocking a public footpath, meaning those in wheelchairs, pushchairs and mobility scooters could not get past.

The owner of the vehicle was contacted and asked to return to the car, where they received a fine by way of a fixed penalty notice.

Pavement parking has become a hot topic recently as the Department for Transport is considering a review of current traffic legislation in an effort to stop drivers blocking pedestrians’ access to pavements.

It's already illegal to block a public footpath but, if approved, the new rules would allow local councils to also make it illegal to park on the kerb unless explicit permission has been granted.

They would also be able to dish out £70 fines to those who park on pavements without permission.

London drivers have been prohibited from parking on pavements for decades and similar restrictions could be rolled out nationwide.

Many Swindon residents have expressed support for the possible law change, though it has also been suggested that such a change would have to be carefully implemented as streets in certain areas of the town would be too narrow for emergency vehicles to travel through if cars were not allowed to park on the kerb.