CAR parking in York has moved into the 21st century with a new pay-by-text service.

Motorists already had the facility to pay by phone, getting rid of the need for carrying cash. Now parking has been made even quicker and easier.

The cashless method has been extended to text messaging in an effort to make it faster, trouble-free and more cost-effective. Registering for the scheme only requires a simple text message.

Coun Ann Reid, the council's city strategy boss, said: "The pay-by-phone facility has proved to be a popular way to pay for car parking, and being able to pay by text makes it even easier, especially for people wanting to pay without pre-registering.

"It also means people don't have to carry around pockets full of money."

To register, motorists simply text the word "Help" to the mobile number 07950 080201, which will be displayed clearly in all council car parks.

They will then receive a return message showing them exactly how to text their parking information.

After this, whenever they want to use a car park, they can simply text the four-digit car park code and how long they are parking for.