CARS illegally parked in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are at risk of being towed away by BCP Council in a bid to manage traffic levels.

And this was the fate for some vehicles in Sandbanks, as thousands flocked to the coast to enjoy the hot weather.

Towaway powers given to BCP Council

A spokesperson for BCP Council said: "We are responding to illegal parking on the ground and officers have been issuing penalty charge notices when appropriate.

"Across the wider area we are however seeing that people are being more compliant.

"As of 3pm, three vehicles have been towed at Sandbanks, and in the Bournemouth and Christchurch areas none have so far qualified for this action.

"Traffic levels remain high but are still moving. This is in line with what we would expect on a normal Summers day.

"We will continue to monitor the situation closely and liaise regularly with Dorset Police .

“We are keen to only tow-away the worst offenders, and would ask people to park responsibly.”