ALMA FLOYD

Alma Floyd - threatened!

For village shopkeeper Alma Floyd a warning to her customers about 'over-zealous' traffic officials was all part of the service. (Alma Floyd)

If she spotted Police Community Support Officers ticketing cars outside her family-run dairy she alerted shoppers so they could avoid them.

But now the helpful Mrs Floyd, 60, has been threatened with arrest if she continues to help her customers to avoid parking tickets.

Police have warned Alma Floyd she is interfering with the officers 'in their line of duty' - and said she could risk prosecution.

Worried Mrs Floyd said she feared the parking crackdown could mean financial ruin for her shop in Cheddar, Somerset, which has been a village landmark since the 1940s.

Customers have parked their cars on the six-metre wide pavement outside Highnam's Dairy since then without a problem, while they shop for traditional treats like clotted cream and ice cream.

But in February shoppers were banned from using the makeshift car park by police, who claimed the three parking spaces were a public safety risk.

Since then PCSOs, nicknamed the 'plastic police' because of their lack of training and powers, have patrolled the area and ticketed any cars parked there.

The move has proved unpopular and residents in the historic tourist village passed a vote of no confidence in the PCSOs at recent parish council meeting, over fears the patrolling officers will deter tourists and hit trade.

Mrs Floyd said: 'Ever since the new parking rules were introduced we have seen a slump in trade.

'The crackdown on parking on that pavement means passing motorists have nowhere to park, and they don't come in.

'So I've been looking out for them whenever they come near - it's the only thing I can do.'

Mrs Floyd, who has run the dairy shop with her husband John, 65, for the last 12 years, said she was warned she could risk arrest last week, after she pleaded with a PCSO not to give a ticket to a customer.

The shopkeeper says that 'over-zealous' Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) ticketing shoppers for parking outside her store has caused a slump in trade

She said: 'I rushed out to say "Don't book them, they're only here for a few minutes", but the over-zealous PCSOs wouldn't listen and it led to an argument.

'I'm not proud of my actions, but I found it extremely difficult not to raise my voice, and I told them to b****r off.

'The following day a police sergeant appeared at the door and warned me that I could be arrested if I interfered with PCSOs in the line of duty.

'It's very upsetting, because we'll lose our trade as well as our regular customers.'

Sean Hockley, who owns a flooring shop in Cheddar, said: 'We've had to move out of the High Street because of [delivery] drivers getting hassle, staff getting hassle, everyone getting hassle.'

Supt Gary Davies, from Avon and Somerset Police, said residents who did not comply with the new rules could face arrest.

He said: 'Some local people have become embroiled in a dispute over parking and emotions have run high because of that.

'Because some of the emotions have got so high, the local sergeant's taken it upon himself to warn people they can't take the law into their own hands.

'This issue has the full support of a whole range of people in Cheddar who want to solve the problems there.'

A vote of no confidence in the PCSOs was passed by 16 residents at the annual Cheddar Parish Meeting on May 7. Parish Council members themselves abstained from the vote.

Residents told how they have been targeted in the street near Mrs Floyd's shop.

Local window cleaner Paul Moulton, 48, has been issued with a total of five £30 tickets in Cheddar since the clampdown was introduced.

Although he has never received one outside Highnam's Dairy, he has personally witnessed PCSOs slapping shoppers with tickets on the pavement outside.

Dad-of-two Paul said: "I've driven past Alma's place lots of times and seen the PCSOs issuing tickets there.

"The PCSOs patrol everywhere in the village, and nowhere is safe anymore.

"I've had to shell out £150 in fines since the clampdown began, and I know of lots of others in the same position."

Avon and Somerset police refuses to disclose exactly how many PCSOs are currently working in Cheddar, pop 6,000.

However, in 2006 there were 11 are now patrolling the Burnham and Cheddar police sector.

In a statement, the force denied that any tickets had been issued directly outside Alma's store.

It also denied that Alma was threatened with arrest - but said she was "spoken-to" by the neighbourhood sergeant.

Following the furore, a spokesman added that the police and Highways Agency now planned to work together to convert the pavement into a parking bay.

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