Traffic wardens are powerless to stop cars Parking on a pedestrianised shopping street - four years after traffic was banned.

Parking attendants have to ignore George Street in Hove because officials have yet to get Government permission to ban parking.

This is despite the fact that Brighton and Hove issues up to 500 tickets every day.

The road, one of the city's major shopping centres, is closed to traffic from 10am to 4pm.

The rest of the city's roads are subject to strict parking controls and £60 fines.

But some cheeky drivers have realised they can park in George Street before they go to work in the morning and drive off in the evening without paying.

Geraldine Curran, from Lansdowne Place, Hove, is one of those confused about the rules.

She said: "When I take my lunch hour at 1pm, there are cars parked in George Street and driving down the road as people are walking in the so-called pedestrianised area.

"Either it is pedestrianised between 10am and 4pm or it is not.

"The situation is farcical and dangerous for the unwary, who presume they are safe in walking along the street."

The council described the situation as an "anomaly" and said it would be remedied within a couple of weeks.

A spokeswoman said there had not been a problem until recently. The council had applied to the Department of Transport for traffic wardens to operate in the street.

Keith Bryden, chairman of Hove Business Association, said the council had been aware of the problem since the street was first pedestrianised but was only just beginning to act.

He said: "The council just rushes things through without thinking about it.

"We have been complaining about this for a while now. If George Street was properly enforced like we asked for in the beginning there wouldn't be a problem and it would make the street much more attractive for shoppers.

"There is a traffic order going through which is hopefully going to be enforced very soon. The sooner it happens the better."