WORRIED neighbours have described the “horrendous” moment a car with three young children inside smashed into a parked car on a notoriously-congested road.

Two police cars and two ambulances swooped into Mayfair, in Tilehurst, on Wednesday last week after a black Vauxhall Zafira was in collision with a parked Ford car, which then smashed into a stationary Mercedes before hitting a tree.

The Ford car was launched 60 feet from its original position and the screams of the three young boys – who escaped unharmed but were taken to hospital as a precaution, along with the male driver – drew more than 30 horrified neighbours out of their homes shortly after 6pm.

Neighbours have been campaigning for months against a Reading Borough council ban on parking on grass verges and pavements. Many people argued the overspill of cars clogging up the road could lead to potentially fatal accidents.

Pat Dredge, who has lived in the road for 50 years, said: “It was horrendous. There was a huge bang – it was like a bomb going off.

"The police couldn’t understand why the cars were parked in the road. If they hadn’t been parked there they wouldn’t have been damaged.”

The road was brought to a standstill for two hours while the emergency services dealt with the wreckage.

Mrs Dredge’s husband Ray, who began a petition calling for Reading’s transport leader Tony Page to reverse the ban, said: “What has got to happen to get some sense out of Page?”

Tilehurst ward Lib Dem Cllr Ricky Duveen added: “I have been fighting with the council on this and so far they have not been listening. This ban is a ridiculous imposition.”

When contacted by The Midweek on Monday, Cllr Page said: “Without further details I can’t comment. We will have a further interim report on the ban on September 11 and in the meantime it continues.

"If any of the neighbours have any further comments, I will be happy to receive them.”