Police have released images of what is being described as shocking examples of bad parking.

Officers initially thought the vehicles in this picture had been involved in a road crash pile-up, but later found that the Volkswagen was actually parked inside a bus stop with a BMW parked diagonally across a pavement with its rear end sticking out - while a third vehicle had been left on the path outside a cleaning shop.

On the far left of the picture, a van can be seen mounted upon the pavement outside the entrance to the Dixy Chicken store in Washwood Heath Road in Birmingham.

All three vehicles parked on the near right side of the photograph were given tickets, while two others were reported for wilful obstruction.

West Midlands Police tweeted: “Yes that is parked it’s not an RTC!! Driver reported for leaving vehicle in a dangerous position on Washwood Heath Rd.”

Next month, a new public campaign will be launched to address the dangers of bad parking.

In May, an officer out on foot patrol issued 27 tickets in just one hour to badly parked cars in areas of Bordesley Green on one Saturday morning.