People in one Ipswich road have been told they could face financial penalties for knocking wooden posts into the grass verge outside their homes.

Ipswich Star: Cheltenham Avenue, Ipswich, where residents have been asked to remove posts from the grass vergesCheltenham Avenue, Ipswich, where residents have been asked to remove posts from the grass verges

Residents in Cheltenham Avenue do not want cars parking on the strip of land between the pavement and the road because of the damage it causes.

They started putting up the stakes to stop the practice but council officials have told them it is illegal.

A letter sent to one homeowner said the posts were a “wilful obstruction of the public highway”.

But disgruntled residents are annoyed that while their posts have to go others on nearby streets remain.

Brian Yelland has lived in Cheltenham Avenue for more than 30 years and put up posts near his house to protect the verge.

“I’m just fed up,” Mr Yelland said. “I got a letter from the council saying if I didn’t take them out I’ll get fined.

“I don’t mind when people park on the road, but not when they park on the grass.

“I can’t understand why in other places the stakes are still there. I feel a little bit victimised by it. I think somebody complained about it. I think it’s a bit petty.

“Perhaps I’m old-fashioned, but I take pride in the area around my house.”

A Suffolk County Council spokesman said: “The act of obstructing the public highway by driving stakes or placing stones on to grass verges is a problem across the county.

“We understand often this is done with all good intention; however, we must remind people that this sort of activity is not only illegal, but poses risk to the person undertaking the act and those using the highway.

“Any person obstructing the highway in this way could find themselves defending a civil action if a cyclist, pedestrian or vehicle using the public highway were to have an accident involving any of these items.

“We regularly receive complaints or reports of this happening across Ipswich and in the Cheltenham Avenue area and so have had to respond by sending letters to residents asking them to remove the obstructions. We are pleased that these requests are usually complied with.”