A BUS company is threatening to axe a service because of car parking problems on a road bend.

First Bus might terminate service 28 from Whiteley to Segensworth and Fareham along with services 76 and 76A from Whiteley to Locks Heath and Fareham.

They claim that motorists are parking in Sweethills Crescent between Austen Gardens and Rattigan Gardens, Whiteley, and it's creating a safety hazard.

Tonight they will urge Fareham Borough Council to introduce traffic regulation orders to put an end to the problem - or risk the routes being scrapped.

A spokesman for First Bus said drivers were having to overtake parked vehicles on the bend.

"First and transportation officers at Fareham Borough Council have been discussing on-street parking in the Austen Gardens area of Sweethills Crescent for over a year," she said.

"Although there has never actually been an accident, a route risk assessment in the area was undertaken by First following concerns raised by our bus drivers that they could negotiate the road safely."

The bus routes run Monday to Saturday providing the people of Whiteley with a link to schools and work. Initially officers and the bus company were looking at introducing a regulation banning parking at any time along the entire stretch of Sweethills Crescent. Now they believe they could reach a compromise by introducing a number of traffic regulation orders that will solve the problem without penalising residents. Arthur Mandry, executive member for transport at Fareham Borough Council, said they were looking at the matter very seriously.

He said: "If vehicles park on the outside of this bend then it can be dangerous because it is a narrow road. When we asked officers to come up with a proposal they suggested introducing double yellow lines all the way down Sweethills Crescent. We don't want to penalise all residents and just want double yellow lines on the bend."

Fareham council's executive committee is meeting tonight when the issues will be discussed.