A mother in Penryn is calling for action over parked cars blocking emergency vehicles after paramedics had to run to her house to help her ill child.

When Jodie Craven’s two year old daughter Willow started having a seizure at their home on Permarin Road on Saturday morning she called an ambulance. She was reassured that it would arrive shortly, however the vehicle was stopped by parked cars.

She said: “I phoned the ambulance about 8.20am, they were really quick to respond and they tracked the ambulance. I couldn’t bring her round, she was losing consciousness.

“They called and said, ‘We think the ambulance should be with you, it’s on Permarin Road’; we were looking out and couldn’t find it because it was stuck between cars.

“She [the paramedic] had to get all of her stuff out of the back and run to respond to her [Willow]. She was at the end of the road.

“She even said herself this is ridiculous, this needs to be reported.”

Willow’s father, Craig Jacka, said: “I had to run Willow outside towards the ambulance.

“She should have gone straight from door to ambulance.

“Having to be flagged down is wrong.”

Jodie added: “It’s absolutely ridiculous, especially when your child is going through that.

“When your child is losing consciousness and the ambulance can’t get through.

“Angry isn’t the word.”

Willow was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, and Jodie says she is “fine” now.

The family was told that the seizure is something that can happen at her age, and there seems to be no ongoing condition which caused it.

However doctors said there is a 30 to 35 per cent chance it could happen again, which Jodie said is “worrying.”

She said: “You get worried that next time you might have to wait just one more minute for the ambulance. Seconds count.”

The family have decided to try and get something done about the poor parking, which they say is endangering lives.

Jodie said: “I think the frustration is this isn’t the first time it’s happened.

“A lady over the road had a stroke and died. The ambulance couldn’t get through and had to be directed by locals to get through the other way.”

Jodie’s brother in law, John Harvey, said there was a fire about two years ago when a fire engine struggled to get through, and the fire service had said they would report the issue.

He said: “The council said a fire engine is legally allowed to barge its way through. “But with the number of cars it wouldn’t be able to do it. An ambulance certainly couldn’t.”

The family said they are going to contact Penryn Town Council, as well as Cornwall Council, and are writing a letter to local MP Sarah Newton.

Michelle Davey, Penryn’s town clerk, said the incident was an issue for Cornwall Council or for the police, depending on whether the vehicles were parked illegally or not.

She said: “Clearly there is a problem in Permarin Road but it’s partly Permarin residents blocking the street.

“Parking is always a problem in Penryn.

“We currently provide around 78 parking spaces right next to Permarin Road free of charge.”

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said: “Cornwall Council is only able to issue penalty charge notices to drivers who are parked in contravention of existing waiting restrictions.

“In areas where there are no restrictions, the onus is on the driver to park in a manner which gives due consideration to the needs of other road users. If vehicles are parked in such a way that prevents the reasonable use of the road by vehicles such as ambulances which have a genuine need to be able to have access, then this is an obstruction issue which should be referred to the police.”