Hundreds of people have called for plans for a large car park at the entrance of a country park to be dropped.

Brighton and Hove City Council wants to shut the informal car parks at Stanmer Park, Brighton, and replace them with a bigger parking area at the entrance off Lewes Road, to fund improvements to the park including a shuttle bus.

The council has carried out consultation but the Friends of Stanmer Park thought it was not good enough and carried out its own survey.

There were more than 500 replies and 96 per cent were against the car park.

The survey found 97 per cent did not want the existing car parks removed and 85 per cent did not want to pay to park at Stanmer.

The Friends said 75 per cent of people would visit less often if other car parks were removed, even if the new car park was free.

Most people were in favour of placing earth mounds or tree stumps at the edges of the present car parks to stop people parking on the grass but few thought it would be convenient to use shuttle buses.

But 80 per cent of people supported a night time barrier to prevent vandalism in the park.

The Friends plan to deliver a document to the council called A Plea For Action In Stanmer Park. Its recommendations include a proper budget for maintenance, improved security, better traffic management and the formation of a liaison panel between the council and other organisations concerned with the park.

Villager Jamie Hooper, who chairs the Friends, said: "Fewer people would be using Stanmer Park as a result."