Firefighters are concerned they sometimes lose valuable minutes as the struggle to manoeuvre fire engines between parked vehicles as they respond to emergencies.

They fear lives could be lost if the borough's motorists do not start taking more care about where they park.
The problem was highlighted this week when a crew went to a house fire in Wigan.

They were unable to drive their fire engine through a narrow gap between lines of parked cars on a road in Platt Bridge in the early hours of the morning.

Firefighters were forced to knock on two doors to wake the occupants and get them to move their cars.

The hold-up delayed them reaching the fire by several minutes.
Fortunately the incident turned out to be a bonfire in a back garden, reported by a concerned member of the public, and no-one was hurt.

But firefighters said if the incident had been a genuine emergency with people trapped in a burning house the delay could have resulted in death.

Isaac Olurankinse, Hindley watch manager, who attended the incident in Downing Close, at 1.20am yesterday, said: "Cars were double parked outside people's homes along the road and we couldn't get the fire engine through the narrow gap between the vehicles.

"Members of the public need to be aware that fire engines are eight-and-a-half feet wide.
"People need to make sure they are leaving enough space for us to get through when they are double parking their cars on the roadside.

"We were only delayed by about two minutes, but if it had been a house fire those minutes could have been crucial.

"It was the early hours of the morning, but we had no choice other than to get two people out of bed to move their cars.
"They weren't very happy.

"People who double park also risk having their vehicles damaged if we are forced to try and manoeuvre through narrow gaps between vehicles.
"This problem with double parking is something we are seeing right across Wigan and Leigh."

He said that people also need make sure they are not parking vehicles over hydrant lids, indicated by a yellow painted letter H, which firemen need to access.

When firemen eventually reached the house in Platt Bridge they found the occupier had been burning rubbish in a brazier in his garden.

A member of the public had seen the flames and, fearing someone may be in danger, had dialled 999.

Firemen say they "advise against" members of the public burning rubbish in their gardens because of the risk of fires getting out of control and spreading to nearby housing.
There is no law stating that bonfires are illegal.

However, smoke from a bonfire can be considered a statutory nuisance and as such can be dealt with under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

The Highways Acts states it is an offence for smoke from a bonfire to drift onto a public highway. If this happens people are advised to call police.