VEHICLES parking outside Rosneath's new Co-operative Food store are creating a safety hazard for pedestrians and passing motorists.

That's the concern aired at the latest meeting of the village's community council – which heard fears that it might take someone being knocked down and killed before safety measures are introduced.

A new Facebook group, 'Parking Like a Clown at the Rosneath Co-op', has been set up by Rosneath resident Ian Todd to document the worst examples of vehicles being left in an unsafe manner outside the new building, which opened its doors in May.

Twenty-two photographs were posted to the group in its first four weeks of existence – a rate of almost one a day.

The September meeting of Rosneath and Clynder community council was reminded that police have the power to charge motorists if their vehicle is causing an obstruction.

That, however, cut little ice with Mr Todd, who said: “Someone's going to be killed there if something isn't done.

“By the time the police arrive the offending car will be long gone. And if you can fund a crossing, how much more would it cost to get bollards along the Co-op side of the pavement?”

Mr Todd's reference to a crossing harks back to June, when the issue was raised at Argyll and Bute Council's Helensburgh and Lomond area committee – and at which the need for a crossing was questioned, in view of the lack of accidents at the location in the past.

Lomond North councillor and Rosneath resident Robert MacIntyre told the community council: “ It's not that we haven't brought this up, but contrary to what some people seem to think, I don't have the roads budget at my disposal.

“The pavement still belongs to the Co-op, and it will not be taken over by the council.”

Writing on the aforementioned Facebook page, Mr Todd urged a big turnout of people at the community council's next meeting to show the strength of local feeling on the problem.

That meeting takes place at the Howie Sports Pavilion in Rosneath on Monday, October 10 at 7.30pm.

Community council convener Ken Smith, who said the organisation had wanted a crossing at the junction of the B833 and Clachan Road “for many years”, agreed to write to the Co-op to ask for anti-parking measures to be put in place.

A spokesperson for Co-operative Food told the Advertiser: “It’s our understanding that the pavement outside our store belongs to the council. 

“We encourage our shoppers to use the car park at the back of our store and we ask people to move their vehicles if they’re causing problems by parking on the pavement.”