A HOTEL and residents are embroiled in a parking row, with police even knocking on doors and asking people to move their cars ... despite the vehicles being parked legally.

The Roslin Beach Hotel, in Thorpe Bay, has twice called police to ask neighbours to move their cars, a councillor has revealed.

Hotel bosses have raised concerns about residents parking close to their car park and blocking access, as well as parking on the opposite side of the road and potentially blocking access for emergency vehicles.

However, the hotel has come under fire for contacting police and accused of creating noise by taking early morning deliveries and empty bins, which is restricted before 9am.

The hotel, in Thorpe Esplanade, came under fire in a council meeting on Thursday.

Ron Woodley, deputy leader of the council, said: “Somehow the hotel managed to get police officers to go knocking on their doors asking them to move their vehicles even though they were parked legally.

“We can’t even see a police officer in most of our residential streets.

“How can a hotel get two police officers twice last month to knock on residents’ doors to move their vehicles that are parked legally. I find this whole thing at the moment terrible.”

He added: “This noise is happening from 6am. We’ve had bottle banks being emptied at 7.30am.

“This is a residential area and if we are going to have restrictions and conditions put on applications, we must have the ability to enforce.

“It’s not just bottle banks, it’s rubbish, its deliveries of wine. It’s everything that’s happening before 9am. A loading bay was created in 2006 for the hotel to have their loading done at the front on Thorpe Esplanade not in residential streets. It’s unfair to the local people.”

Jacqui Dallimore, managing director of the hotel, said: “We have been in constant communication with the council and have shared communications we’ve had with our suppliers to ensure they comply with delivery arrangements. The problem has gone and no one is now coming before 9am.

“We contacted the council regarding a problem we had with residents parking near to our car park and on the opposite side of Walton Road so that emergency vehicles could not get through. They told us to report it to police. They were parked strategically in a way that caused a problem. A fire engine could not have got through. We’ve worked well with residents for years and years.”