A Chinese car dealership has sparked a parking war with locals after its growing stock spilled out onto surrounding streets, with residents claiming pavements, parking bays and even a bus stop have been taken over by vehicles.

Residents living near the Omoda and Jaecoo dealership on Lower High Street in Watford, Hertfordshire, say the constant stream of new cars is causing chaos and creating dangerous conditions for pedestrians.

The dealership has been subjected to more than 130 enforcement visits in the past month, as council officers respond to complaints about vehicles allegedly blocking pavements and occupying spaces on surrounding roads.

But the council says its ability to take action is limited when the cars are brand new and have no registration plates – meaning enforcement can fall to police.

Locals say the problem has become particularly acute as vehicle deliveries have increased, with models including the £30,000-plus Jaecoo 7 SUV now regularly lining the roads and pavements around the dealership.

One furious neighbour, 87-year-old Elsie Humphries, said she wanted to give dealership staff ‘one where the sun don’t shine’ over their behaviour.

She said: ‘They’re on the pavement where people walk down, so they have to go out into the road to come.

‘They say if they haven’t got a number on the front they can put a car where they want.’

Residents living near the Omoda and Jaecoo dealership on Lower High Street in Watford, Hertfordshire, say the constant stream of new cars is causing chaos and creating dangerous conditions for pedestrians

One furious neighbour, 87-year-old Elsie Humphries (left), said she wanted to give dealership staff ‘one where the sun don’t shine’ over their behaviour

Annie Secunda, 83, said her retirement housing community’s local bus stop has been blocked by the dealership’s cars, meaning buses have to stop in the middle of the road.

She said: ‘I’ve got nothing against the cars, I’ve got nothing against the people – but it’s just the inconsideration that they show for everybody else.

‘Elderly people have to walk around in the road to get on the bus.’

Nearby resident Glody, 30, said new deliveries of cars were arriving ‘every day’.

He said: ‘It’s pretty dangerous – the roads around this area are pretty narrow, and if cars are taking up the footpath, people have to walk in to the road.

‘At the end of summer they started to deliver more vehicles, I’ve started seeing a lot more vehicles outside, even on the footpaths.

‘It seems like it’s just come out of nowhere.

‘It’s a big problem. They seem like they own the place.’

Elected mayor of Watford Peter Taylor said: ‘Local residents are understandably annoyed that this business is flouting parking restrictions around the dealership.

‘The council has increased the number of patrols to try get them to change their behaviour.

‘In the last month there have been over 130 visits and we will continue to serve Penalty Charge Notices to vehicles parked illegally where they have registration plates.

‘We have visited the dealership and made them aware of our serious concerns.

‘We are also working with the Police and Hertfordshire Highways to see what more can be done to stop unregistered vehicles being parked where they shouldn’t be, as this falls outside of our parking enforcement team’s jurisdiction.’

Nearby resident Glody, 30, said new deliveries of cars were arriving ‘every day’

The dealership has been subjected to more than 130 enforcement visits in the past month, as council officers respond to complaints about vehicles allegedly blocking pavements and occupying spaces on surrounding roads

Locals say the problem has become particularly acute as vehicle deliveries have increased, with models including the £30,000-plus Jaecoo 7 SUV now regularly lining the roads and pavements around the dealership

Endeavour Automotive Group, which operates the dealership, said: ‘We are aware of concerns regarding vehicle parking and deliveries at our Omoda & Jaecoo location on Lower High Street, Watford, and we take these matters seriously.

‘As vehicle volumes increase at certain times of the year, we recognise the impact that parking can have on local residents, pedestrians and surrounding public spaces.

‘We are continuing to review the matters raised with our site management team, including vehicle delivery arrangements, parking, and the way any concerns from residents have been handled.

To help address the issue, we have secured additional compound space – three compounds in total – to ease pressure on the site and provide further vehicle storage capacity.

‘This is aimed at reducing the need for vehicles to be parked on surrounding roads, while also helping to remove cars from grass verges and keep pedestrian pathways clear and accessible.

‘Here at Endeavour Automotive, we are continuing to work with our teams and logistical partners to ensure vehicles are stored responsibly and in accordance with local parking regulations.

‘We also expect all colleagues to deal with residents and members of the public in a respectful and professional manner at all times.

‘We remain committed to being a good neighbour within the community and will continue to review our operations to help reduce any disruption to local residents, pedestrians and visitors.’

A Hertfordshire Constabulary spokesperson said: ‘We appreciate the frustration this situation is causing for residents and understand the concerns around accessibility, road safety and disruption in the area.

‘We are actively working with Watford Borough Council, the dealership and other partners to resolve these issues being experienced by the local community.’