TICKETS will still be handed to people parking on the kerb in narrow Golders Green Estate streets despite pleas from a councillor against the plans.

Barnet Council says it has “no plans” to stop issuing tickets in Cheviot Road on the Golders Green Estate despite than ambulance being forced to turn around because it could not get through last Thursday.

Last month ward Councillor Melvin Cohen said he had asked for footway parking on the narrow streets after enforcement officers issued warning notices two weeks in a row to residents.

But now the council says it intends to push on with the plans because of complaints about damaging pavements.

Resident Sara Sadek, who was behind the ambulance when it had to turn back, said: “I was following this ambulance when it stopped, and then started to reverse and turn around.

“Two cars were parked on the road and it couldn’t get through.

“My sister suffers seizures and we have to call ambulances sometimes, so I was worried it was for her.”

She said she called the council to complain but was told by an operator who gave her name as Kerry it was not a problem as “ambulances and fire engines don’t go down there every day”.

She added: “That’s not the point. Any delay in an ambulance getting to someone could be the difference between life and death.

“Taking a diversion will have taken two or three minutes. Is it really worth risking lives for the council to make a bit of money? It seems insane.”

The council said it could find no record of a Kerry working in customer services In a statement it added: “If an emergency vehicle could not access a road the police would be called as obstructing the highway is a criminal offence.

“We do not have any plans to change enforcement for parking on the kerb on this road.”