POLICE were called to a dispute between neighbours over a parking space.

The row concerns a strip of land in Red Lion Lane, Overton, which Angela and Graham Gould say sits naturally within their property, but the ownership of which is disputed.

When a neighbour parked his car there, the couple decided to make a point by putting a chain around the vehicle with a padlock.

Mrs Gould said the car-parking by Red Lion Lane residents, including Sarah Mills, was very upsetting, which was why she and her husband used the chain.

She said of Mrs Mills: “She has ample parking space for herself and any visitors. We, therefore, saw her action as highly provocative, inflammatory and unnecessary.”

The Goulds used the chain when another neighbour’s car replaced Mrs Mills’ car in the space. When the Goulds offered to take down the chain, the neighbour refused to move his vehicle.

Mrs Gould then called Overton beat officer PC Richard Baldwin to deal with the dispute, and said he advised her to remove the chain.

Mrs Mills, a former Overton parish councillor, earlier this year asked the parish council to take action against the Goulds, who are both 62, because she claimed that before they moved in last October, the space was used by the resident of Red Lion Lane whose car they had chained in. The resident has declined to comment.

The Goulds’ property has been the focus of concern as its boundary infringes the Edward Kersley playing field perimeter.

But Mrs Mills was told the parking wrangle was not a parish council matter, and she was advised to seek an arbitrator.

Mrs Mills told The Gazette: “The key point here is that the strip of land does not belong to Mr and Mrs Gould. “The police told them not to put a chain across because it does not belong to them and they are not entitled to stop anyone using it.”

The police confirmed PC Baldwin had been to the dispute and had “advised all parties concerned”.