FRUSTRATED homeowners have hit out at used car sellers trading in their street.One resident of Nacton Road, Ipswich, said it felt like he was “living on a car lot” .

FRUSTRATED homeowners have hit out at used car sellers trading in their street.

One resident of Nacton Road, Ipswich, said it felt like he was “living on a car lot” when potential buyers arrive outside his home to browse the collection of motors on sale.

Neighbours have complained that up to eight second-hand cars can be found on their doorsteps at any time.

Carl McLaughlin, 45, of Nacton Road, said: “This has been going on for too long and I am fed up with it. On one occasion two cars had been sold and replaced by another two in the space of an hour.

“There can be up to eight cars for sale at any one time in the lay-by outside my house. These people are running a business on my doorstep and it feels like living on a car lot at times.”

Mr McLaughlin's neighbour Jim Bear, 62, said: “The road gets blocked when people park up to go and look at the cars, and if anyone is coming to visit me they have to park elsewhere.

“But, more worryingly, people are distracted by them as they drive along Nacton Road. The whole reason for the cars being there is to draw attention, but it could cause an accident.

“Children also tend to dart across the road when the schools finish in the afternoon.”

One car seller admitted using the street to advertise his car after seeing others parked there. “I wanted to sell my car and just put it there because everyone else was doing it,” said the seller, who did not wish to be named but promised to remove the car.

A police spokeswoman said it is not a criminal offence to sell vehicles on the road if they are taxed, insured and not parked illegally - although someone doing this as a business could fall foul of the county's trading standards department.

A borough spokesman said: "Our enforcement team has had reports of three cars for sale in Nacton Road this week and a member of staff contacted the owners personally and they agreed to remove them.

“We believe two have gone already. Selling a car in a public place is not allowed but we do try to persuade rather than issue notices."

Are you a Nacton Road resident affected by the second-hand cars? Are the car sellers doing anything wrong? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk