Council leaders have renewed calls for congestion charging in Brighton and Hove in the wake of worsening traffic jams.

The Liberal Democrats are the latest politicians to throw their weight behind the controversial scheme.

Paul Elgood, group leader on the city council, said charges should be considered as a way of tackling growing traffic congestion and pollution.

Under his proposal any driver entering a zone around the city centre would pay £2 along the lines of the London scheme which has slashed congestion by 30 per cent in two years. The money raised would be used to improve public transport.

Coun Elgood's comments represent a change of heart for the Lib Dems. Three years ago the councillor said congestion charging would put Brighton and Hove "on the road to ruin" and would "crucify shops and businesses in the centre".

But Coun Elgood said traffic problems had worsened considerably since then and warned the city was now facing a crisis.

He said: "Getting traffic out of our city centre has to be our number one priority. As the carrot isn't working, then the stick must be used. Pollution is slowly killing our city and we have reached the point where this cannot be ignored any longer."

Earlier this month traffic in Brighton and Hove ground to a halt as 27,000 cyclists arrived in the city as part of the annual London to Brighton bike ride.

Some visitors vowed never to return to the city after spending hours stuck in traffic.

The introduction of congestion charging in Brighton and Hove is a long-standing policy of the Green Party but until now has failed to find support among other councillors who have focused on plans for a park-and-ride and rapid transport scheme.

But growing frustration at congestion combined with the perceived success of the London scheme appear to be changing minds.

The Green Party's convenor, Keith Taylor, said: "We are very pleased other political groups are now agreeing with us because we can't continue to have a gridlocked city. Let's make it easier for people to visit and get around."

Labour's transport councillor, Craig Turton, said congestion charging was still an option but the council's priority was park-and-ride.

He said: "We have never ruled out congestion charging but our intention is to try to keep vehicles from coming into the centre in the first place."

Tony Mernagh, spokesman for Brighton and Hove's City Centre Business Forum, said: "If it places us at a competitive disadvantage with other cities around us it would be difficult to justify. But if the Government is looking to introduce a national scheme so every city would have to do it there would be a level playing field."

Conservative councillor Ted Kemble said: "We are totally opposed to congestion charging because it's another stealth tax on the motorist."