FED-up resident Colin Barton has resorted to putting traffic cones outside his York home because of the increase in the number of parked cars in the area.

Colin said the amount of people who park in Hambleton Terrace, off Haxby Road, has leapt dramatically since the number of spaces in the Union Terrace car park, off Clarence Street, was cut by 200.

He claimed employees of York District Hospital who could no longer find spaces there were now choosing to park in streets like his, leaving little room for residents during the day.

He and a group of other residents have applied to the City of York Council to have residents' only car parking spaces installed, but have been told this process will take a year.

"Staff from the hospital park down our road and the hospital has a car park," he said.

"If I come home at dinner time, people are even parking on the grass verge opposite.

"I've been putting cones out but the council have told me to move them. I don't want to break the law, but I want to protect where I want to park.

"If they remove the cones, my only way will be to park push bikes outside my house."

He said he had lived in the street for 18 years and the situation had got much worse over the last year.

"It's going mad in York, they're removing car parks all the time.

"People like me down this street are getting absolutely fed up."

A spokesman for City of York Council said: "The council has received a petition from residents in this area of the city, and Hambleton Terrace has been approved to go on a list of streets being considered for a Respark scheme although we cannot say when this could happen.

"We cannot say whether their parking problems are caused by staff from the hospital. Although we have reduced the number of spaces in Union Terrace car park to provide a new coach park there and to facilitate the planned regeneration of the area through the York St John College proposals, the car park is rarely full.

"Furthermore, in line with our policy of investing in city car parks, we are making several important improvements at the site for motorists, motorcyclists and those arriving in coach parties."

Updated: 15:10 Tuesday, June 18, 2002