A businessman has found a novel way to sound off about the traffic wardens he claims were "swarming" a south-west London shopping street and damaging trade.

Martin Herdman, of Herdman Carpets in Crown Road, St Margarets, said he was so sick of wardens ticketing customers that he rigged up a sound system and blasted a recorded air raid siren whenever a warden appeared.

He said: "We did get a few - and after a couple of days they have not come down. It's had the desired effect."

The parking problem on the road is acute according to the independent traders based there, many of whom rely on passing trade.

In recent months, some parking bays have been lost to ongoing gas works and traders have reported a slump in business.

But this isn't the first time Mr Herdman has made a big noise in a bid to save trade on the street: "About 14 years ago I got a real WWII air raid siren because traffic wardens were camped out in Crown Road all day long nabbing people coming into the shops.

"St Margaret's traders had been telling the council for years they were losing their livelihoods."

Mr Herdman said that within two weeks of his siren vigil, the council admitted there was a problem with the parking provision and installed the 19 parking bays currently on the road.

But he believes a recent Richmond upon Thames Council proposal to take away two of the bays and replace single yellow lines with doubles near the junction with Beaconsfield Road threatened to "decimate" trade.

He said: "They said it was for cyclists' safety. But there's not been one accident on that part of the road. Once the shops go, communities break down."

Coun David Trigg, cabinet member for traffic, transport and parking, said on Wednesday that the proposal had been scrapped following a public consultation: "It came back strongly that there were more dis-benefits than benefits. We have decided not to progress this any further.

"Ideally we would like to provide more parking for businesses, but we have to juggle priorities. If we can benefit them that's what we will do."

Coun Trigg added that council officers would have alternative proposals for improving cyclist safety at the junction in three weeks' time.