RESIDENTS are making progress in their battle to rid their street of illegally parked second-hand cars.

Last week the Advertiser reported that second-hand car dealers were making life a misery for people in Drakes Way by treating their road as an illegal showroom.

Now it appears the dealers have vanished, leaving the road in peace.

Brian White, 68, said: "Since your report most of the cars have gone. There are only a couple left now.

"You cannot even see one from where I live.

"It's great we're sleeping a bit better now there aren't car doors slamming all through the night and all my neighbours have said how much better it is now."

He added: "I just wanted to thank the Advertiser."

Coun Mavis Childs (Con, Walcot) warned that despite the fact the sellers were dwindling in numbers, there was still a chance they could come back.

She said: "We thought they had gone before, but the numbers have crept back up.

"I have my eye on the situation.

"We want to send the right message out, that we're not going to tolerate them."

Coun Childs has posted questionnaires to the residents, asking what they want done about the situation.

She said: "It would be easy to put down double yellow lines along the road.

"But that would affect the people living there and it would also need to be enforced."

A Swindon Council spokesman warned sellers of the dangers of leaving cars for sale on Drakes Way.

He said: "If people ignore the warnings and continue to park and advertise their cars along Drakes Way, they can expect to be prosecuted."

The spokesman added: "Potential buyers also need to ask themselves if problems arise after they've bought the car, would they know who the seller was, where they lived, or even if they were entitled to sell the vehicle at all?"