New research from the UK reveals that more than 1-in-10 British motorists would defy a footpath-parking ban if it were introduced following a Government consultation.

At present, in London it is illegal to park on the pavement, and is due to be outlawed in Scotland from 2021, but it is a grey area in other parts of the UK.

Meanwhile, the Government is to run a consultation that could see a widespread ban with increased powers for local authorities to crack down on unnecessary pavement obstruction.

In New Zealand you risk a $40-$60 parking infringement for inconsiderate parking, and that includes blocking the footpath.

According to the new UK study by online parking portal YourParkingSpace.co.uk this would not stop 16 per cent of British motorists from continuing to leave their vehicles on pavements despite the risk of punishment.

Harrison Woods, managing director at YourParkingSpace.co.uk, which provides thousands of empty driveways and spaces across the UK for motorists to rent on an hourly, daily or monthly basis, said: “It seems likely that pavement parking will become punishable in many parts of the country, yet this won’t deter a sizeable number of motorists from continuing to do so.”

Parking on a pavement can cause major inconvenience to people in wheelchairs, the partially sighted and those with pushchairs, amongst others, who struggle to find room to pass the vehicle.

However, some motorists who park on a pavement say they do it out of necessity as, for instance, parking on the road in a narrow street could block emergency vehicles.

On the upside, the online parking portal recently announced free parking for National Health Service staff, with 900 car parks across the UK already signed up to the initiative including shopping centres, hotels, and supermarkets.