As one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year approaches people who park illegally in Cardiff centre have been warned their vehicles will be towed away.

Congestion in recent months has brought the city to a standstill due to motorists parking in bus lanes and on yellow lines.

Buses are forced out of bus lanes by parked cars

Officers from South Wales Police have already issued 700 fixed penalty notices of �30 to try and combat the problem.

But from Friday two tow trucks are being put on standby to take cars found causing an obstruction away.

The car owner will be forced to pay nearly �150 before their vehicle will be returned to them.

Police have said they have been forced to take this action as a safety measure in order to allow the emergency services to park easily in crisis situations.

South Wales Police Chief Inspector Huw Gosling said: "This issue is one of safety.

The option of towing vehicles away has not been undertaken lightly Chief Inspector Huw Gosling, South Wales Police

"Cardiff will be full of people in the run up to Christmas.

"The streets need to be kept clear so that people can move around safely and the emergency services can attend quickly to deal with any issues that may arise.

"We have made repeated efforts to tell people that parking illegally is not safe," he said.

He said that careful consideration was made on bringing in tow trucks to deal with the problem.

"The option of towing vehicles away has not been undertaken lightly," he said.

"The penalty for those motorists is not only substantial in cost but also an inconvenience.

"It can be avoided by parking responsibly, lawfully and safely," he added.

Standstill

Cardiff Bus, the main bus company operating in the city welcomed the new initiative.

A spokesman said that very often their drivers were forced to use the main highway because cars park illegally in bus lanes, causing congestion and frequently bringing the city to a standstill.

"We are grateful to the police for their assistance in removing inconsiderate and illegally parked vehicles at this particularly busy time for us," he said.

Cardiff Bus operates services throughout the city and Cardiff council have set up a Park and Ride scheme - see internet links for details.