Commuters champion Shelly Atlas is turning her attention to the "ridiculous and unfair" parking restrictions in Brighton and Hove.

Miss Atlas, an administrator for a London firm, says she and hundreds of other residents in Cromwell and Davigdor Road, Hove, are in the middle of a "nightmare" parking area.

For the past 15 years, she has been tackling rail companies for a better deal for commuters as chairwoman of the Brighton Line Commuters Now she is demanding a fairer deal from Brighton and Hove City Council for residents who find it impossible to park near their homes.

Miss Atlas, who lives in Cromwell Road, says towaway squads are deliberately targeting nearby roads because they know there are easy pickings.

She had her car towed away on the Tuesday jubilee bank holiday because it was parked in a bus bay. She had to pay £135 to get it back.

Miss Atlas has been asking for the bus bay opposite her home to be reduced in size so more car parking spaces can be created.

She said: "It is ridiculous. The bus bay on one side of the road is for one bus and then on the other side is enough for three buses.

"There is no difference in the number of buses using the road in either direction, yet the bus bay for the buses going towards Brighton is almost three times bigger. Nobody has been able to tell me why.

"My car was towed away after I arrived back from jubilee celebrations at about 2am on the bank holiday Tuesday and could find nowhere to park after driving round and round.

"I did not want to walk a long way to my flat in the early hours, so I parked it on a bus stop, which I am allowed to do until 7 am.

"I looked out to check it was all right at just before 7am but then fell asleep. When I awoke just before 9am, it had been towed away.

"I was surprised to be told when I visited the car pound that it was not illegal to park across corners."

Miss Atlas said the problem was the area was just outside the controlled parking area.

"Everyone comes here for free parking. The whole situation has got to be sorted out.

"The council is pushing people who don't want to pay or can't pay into this part of Hove."

A spokeswoman for the city council said the bus bay in question had been in existence for many years, during which time there had been many changes to timetables.

She added: "Just because a resident thinks it is too long, it does not mean they are entitled to park on it."

The council is consulting over a proposed parking zone covering the Goldsmid area of Hove, which includes Davigdor and Cromwell Road. This would mean parking permits for residents and pay-and-display bays.

An exhibition about the scheme will be at St Mary and St Abraham Coptic Orthodox Church, Davigdor Road, from Tuesday to July 19.