DRIVERS who flout parking restrictions in Ammanford's pedestrianised Quay Street will be booked "in the near future", town councillors have been told.

The warning came from Pc Matthew Harries after calls from shoppers for all vehicles to be barred following a couple of alarming incidents in recent weeks.

The Guardian reported last month how an ornamental tree was snapped in two by an Alliance Healthcare van delivering items to Boots.

Now it has emerged that bins near the store have also been damaged by a reversing vehicle.

Pc Harries – who said he had liased with community officer Rob Chapman – said letters were going out to shopowners reminding them of regulated delivery times.

"We will also be getting warnings out to drivers through the Guardian and social media," he added.

But Cllr Wendy Evans questioned whether such action would be effective. "I came through Quay Street at 3.25pm the other day and there was a van there," she told colleagues. "The driver even had the cheek to stop and talk to some passer-by."

Turning to Pc Harries, she asked: "Shouldn't you be booking these people? One day someone's going to get killed here – I'm very concerned about traffic going up and down that street.

"I want to see an officer patrolling up and down that street over the two to three weeks and I want to see him start booking people."

Pc Harries suggested that the town council could assist in getting the message across by contacting businesses. "You need to also bring this up with the town's regeneration team," he added.

Buit Cllr Evans could not be placated. "There are too many people parking on double yellow lines as well," she said. "We have to have a decent flow of traffic."

Pc Harries assured her patrols would be "stepped up" in the coming weeks.

Speaking to the Guardian after the meeting he said: "Drivers must be made aware that we will be prosecuting in the near future those who continue to flout parking regulations in Quay Street.