LYME Regis harbour users say they are worried about parking problems in the town so early in the season.

The problems have been made worse this week by Netflix filming in and around the Cobb which, according to the town’s harbour consultative committee chairman, Chris Turner left a few harbour users “feeling a bit tense.”

“There were lots of cameramen and vehicles and a few people got a bit stressed about it, but there was plenty of space for everyone in the end,” he said told this week’s joint harbours committee.

The company is producing a period drama, Jane Austen’s ‘Persuasion’, and during the shooting of the Lyme Regis scenes on Tuesday horse drawn carriages were brought onto the grade one listed Cobb, made famous by the film, the French Lieutenant’s Woman.

The production company also took over car parks at Holmbush and Sidmouth Road.

The production stars Dakota Johnson.

Her character in the Austen film dramatically slips from the Cobb. The author of the novel is known to have visited Lyme Regis in 1803 and 1804.

Councillors heard that the harbour is applying for parking orders around the harbour which will allow the harbourmaster and his team to take enforcement action against poor parking in addition to Dorset Council traffic wardens.

Mr Turner told the meeting that the town harbour now had its mooring pontoons out in readiness for the season and the work on the slipway extension had been completed.

He said many activities, such as water polo, and some sailing activities had been either cancelled, or restricted by current Covid rules, although there had been an increase in open water swimming and the use of small boats in the area, together with the influx of visitors.

Commercial vessel capacity at the harbour currently stands at 100 per cent with private moorings at 92per cent, up from 80 per cent last year.

The town’s RNLI crew is reported to have had a busy start to the year with 12 call outs so far, including several people reported to be cut off by the tide, reports of distress flares along the coast, a swimmer in trouble, the medical evacuation of a commercial fisherman and a gig capsize.

The lifeboat station had been closed to visitors since March 2020 and there have been no RNLI events since then although Lifeboat Week is expected to take place this year between 24 and 31 July.