INCONSIDERATE parking delayed the fire service as they attempted to attend an emergency call out.

Halstead’s crew were called to reports of flooding on Cutting Drive, but were unable to take the fastest route after Mount Hill was blocked.

And firefighters were further delayed as they battled through poorly parked cars along Trinity Road.

Halstead fire station posted a stark message to Facebook, warning residents of the risks and stating someone could die due to similar delays.

It said: “Last night we were called to an incident in Cutting Drive, Halstead.

“Unfortunately due to inconsiderate parking we were unable to take the fastest route as the road was blocked by a parked car at the bottom of Mount Pleasant. We had to take a detour via Trinity Road which at points was also nearly blocked by resident not allowing fire engines room to get through and again blocked at the junction of Mount Pleasant by another poorly parked vehicle.

“Luckily on this occasion no one was injured due to our delay in arrival.

“Please think about our access when parking your vehicle before someone dies.”

Crews were called to Cutting Drive at 9.11pm to reports of flooding affecting two properties.

Once they arrived, they worked with housing provider to isolate power and ensure there was no risk of electrics being affected.

An Essex County Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We don’t believe that anyone wants to delay us when we are called to an incident, but people often don’t consider how their parking affects our response. They might only plan to be parked somewhere for a few minutes, but that few minutes could make all the difference.

“While on their way to this incident, our firefighters found they could not take the most direct route because of an inconsiderately parked car – forcing them to detour and take a longer, less efficient path.

“The extra time taken for the fire engine to arrive could have made all the difference. We ask residents to please be considerate about how and where you park and whether you could potentially be putting others’ lives at risk.”