FRUSTRATED car owners want a residents-only parking scheme introduced in a heavily-congested area of Worcester to stop shoppers and commuters taking up their spaces.

People living in and around the Arboretum say they have suffered for years with narrow roads and lack of parking spaces, which they say are often taken up by shoppers heading into the city centre.

The city council's transport department carried out a consultation with residents to ask them what they thought of the idea of charging a set fee to have a parking space.

It found that despite a response of just over 200, from 632 dropped leaflets, the majority were in favour.

The three councillors for St Nicholas ward, Rob Peachey, Richard Bird and Colin Bruton, will now discuss the response with an officer from the transport department in early December.

Connie Davis, chairman of the Arboretum Residents Association, said they referred to people who came into the area to park as "outsiders".

"It is absolutely disgusting - we see them queuing up in the mornings waiting for residents to move and then quickly dive into their place.

"When we did a door knock to ask about the forms we found that a majority of people were in favour of this scheme.

"Out of those who responded, 79 per cent said 'yes please' to the parking scheme."

Carl Friend, who lives in Lower Chestnut Street, said the problem affected the residents six days a week.

"We have had lots of surveys and there's been lots of talk but nothing has been delivered," he said.

"We would like a solution where we would not have to pay any extra but if we did have to pay, then we would expect the system to work."

Councillor Peachey said only a third of residents actually responded to the consultation and he had found a mixed response to the plans.

"There are a lot of ifs and buts, from people saying things like: 'I would like the scheme but I don't want to pay' or: 'I want to be able to park anywhere.'

"The other concern is that each house is narrower than a car is long. This means that if it is one car per house, there won't be enough road space."