Tradesmen have called off a go-slow traffic protest while they hold talks with council officials about a controversial Parking waiver system.

More than 300 traders and their vehicles were scheduled to bring the centre of Brighton and Hove to a halt on Monday morning in protest against the £3 waiver charge.

The traders, who have formed themselves into Traders Against Parking Persecution (Tapp) are angry at Brighton and Hove City Council's introduction of a parking waiver system. It forces them to pay £3 each time they want to park restricted parking areas and on yellow lines while carrying out their work.

Building workers, electricians, plumbers and small businesses were prepared to snarl up the city centre by driving their vans in slow convoys in a second protest against the charges.

The first protest on June 5 involved almost 200 vans and vehicles taking part.

The one planned for Monday was to be bigger, with two convoys setting off from Madeira Drive on Brighton seafront.

The traders have, in the past weeks, been meeting and corresponding with council officials in a bid to reach an agreement, which traders hope will result in huge modifications to the scheme.

Tapp has called off the protest as another meeting with the council is planned for Friday, July 12.

Secretary of Tapp Alan Sablon, managing director of a building firm, said: "We felt that as we were in talks with the council it was unfair of us to go ahead with the protest.

"We have shown we can organise a protest and we still have plans to snarl up the city should the talks end unsatisfactorily.

"Naturally, we hope there will be no need to hold another protest.

"We have put our protest plans on hold to see what the council come up with."

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove Council said: "It is good news the protest is off while dialogue continues and other motorists will not be inconvenienced.

We hope an agreement can be reached which is satisfactory to both sides."