Fewer than 20 traders joined the latest "white van" protest against Brighton and Hove's hardline Parking policy.

Motorists on the seafront and in central Hove yesterday morning experienced nothing more than the usual chaos as a small convoy trawled along the city streets at 10mph.

The demonstration was the sixth organised by pressure group Traders Against Parking Persecution (Tapp) since the city council introduced a £3 charge for traders parking on yellow lines.

But the showing was low-key in contrast to the group's protest last June, which attracted more than 300 angry van drivers.

Organisers claim the protest was deliberately scaled down to spare the public long delays.

Lloyd Hampshire, 43, a carpenter and joiner, said: "We phoned around and a lot of people said they are going to make their feelings known in the ballot box.

"The public do suffer when they are trying to get a plumber. Certain areas in Brighton we won't work, because it's an absolute nightmare.

"I think a proper system has to be brought in which works. It's crazy at the moment."

Mick Casey, a DJ and band manager, added: "We decided not to have so many and to make this a token protest.

"We didn't want to inconvenience people too much but we still wanted to make our presence felt in Brighton and Hove."

Led by a white van blaring out the Seven Dwarves' Hi-Ho song, the convoy of traders set off from the Palace Pier at 8.30am and drove at 10mph along the seafront.

They continued to the council offices at King's House and completed the demo outside Hove Town Hall, where they dispersed.

Motorists waited patiently behind the vans as a small queue disrupted traffic but there was none of the horn-honking and waving spectators which characterised earlier protests.

Members are angry at the cost of the £3 daily fee and at having to queue for waivers every day. They want an annual permit.

A council spokeswoman said: "The figures speak for themselves. If there were less than 20 vans it would appear support for the campaign is waning.

"Hopefully that's because we have managed to reach agreement with them in a number of areas."

*Thursday April 24 2003