Firefighters have urged the public to be more careful after a fire engine attending an emergency call was stopped by parked cars in Falmouth on Friday.

Cornwall Fire Station's Twitter feed showed crew members directing the vehicle through a space little wider than it is after the cars blocked it path on a residential road in the town.

The crew tweeted out: "Take care when parking as time cost lives, this is what we encountered today #thinkbeforeyoupark" and later added, "it was on the way to a incident lucky no one hurt."

While in this case the firefighters were able to squeeze through, motorists could do well to bear in mind that under the Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004, crews are legally permitted to "move or break into a vehicle without the consent of its owner" if it is in their way while they are attempting to reach an emergency.

Meanwhile parking in central Falmouth has been causing complaints online, with residents taking to Facebook following a "logjam" near the Prince of Wales Pier on Saturday night.

Ian Johnson wrote on local forum You Know You Grew Up in Falmouth When... that allowing parking around Market Strand was "lunacy" as it prevents large vehicles from turning the corner.

He said: "What if a fire engine needed to get through? To quote recent events - do we have to wait for a tragedy to occur until someone takes the action needed?"

Pete Hambrook said: "This happens most Saturdays as Superdrug have an artic with an evening delivery. The car on the single line wasn't the problem it was the Golf on the opposite side on a double yellow."

David Saunby added: "Some car drivers park where the wheels stop, giving no consideration to other road users, and how close they are to corners, or the narrowness of the road."

And Gwyn Richards had a suggestion: "This 25ft of single yellow line should be double.

"Falmouth's main streets are a restricted zone at all times but people blatantly ignore this because they can."