A Chinese-owned car dealership in Watford has clashed with local residents after its overflowing stock of vehicles began blocking pavements, parking bays and a bus stop on surrounding streets. Residents say the situation has grown increasingly dangerous for pedestrians, particularly elderly locals who must step into the road to get around parked cars, while the council has struggled to enforce restrictions because many of the vehicles are brand new and lack registration plates, pushing responsibility towards the police instead.

The Omoda and Jaecoo dealership on Lower High Street has faced more than 130 council enforcement visits in the past month alone, with deliveries of models such as the £30,000-plus Jaecoo 7 SUV reportedly increasing sharply since late summer. Neighbours including 87-year-old Elsie Humphries and 83-year-old Annie Secunda described cars obstructing footpaths and a bus stop, forcing buses to halt in the middle of the road. Watford's elected mayor, Peter Taylor, said the council had stepped up patrols and would continue issuing Penalty Charge Notices to registered vehicles parked illegally, while working with police and Hertfordshire Highways to address unregistered cars parked outside the council's jurisdiction. Endeavour Automotive Group, which runs the dealership, acknowledged the concerns but did not detail specific remedial action in the quoted response.