A councillor who works as a plumber has accused his own council strangling businesses with its parking regulations.

Geoff Wells, a Brighton and Hove city councillor, says he now only does jobs for elderly customers in the centre Brighton because of the parking problems he has elsewhere.

He spoke out against the restrictions days after traders staged a go-slow parade of vans in protest against the city council's plans to charge them £3 a day for waivers allowing them to park on yellow lines when carrying out work restricted areas.

Traders are angry they have to queue for the waivers, which they say wastes too much time and, therefore, money.

Coun Wells said: "Don't expect anything from the present administration of this council.

"They don't like businesses and seem to be hell bent on making this city fully pedestrianised.

"May I suggest we all sell our vans and lorries that class as mobile workshops and buy trade bikes and barrows to cart our tools and ladders around the city because that will be welcomed by this head-in-the-

sand, stealth tax-raising administration."

Traders who held their protest against the parking charges through the city on Wednesday have been told the council will not give way.

Environment councillor Chris Morley told them controlled parking in the city was here to stay and said there was no reason for traders to be exempt when everyone else must pay.

Coun Morley said the council's takeover of the enforcement of parking and introduction of controlled parking zones had vastly improved congestion and made the streets much safer.

He said the policy had freed up the road networks to allow police, fire and ambulance vehicles to respond to emergencies faster.

Buses were operating more efficiently and refuse vehicles could get down the streets to collect rubbish.

However, Coun Wells said: "I would like to go back to the days when a phone call to the traffic wardens' office was sufficient.

"As a plumber, I now only bother to go into town for my old customers. I won't take on new customers in town.

"I tell them to look elsewhere as it is too much hassle to cross town and queue for parking waivers."

Councillor Wells said the waivers would add extra costs to charges made by companies for their work.

This would hit people on low incomes.

A council spokeswoman said:

"We think £3 a day is a very small charge to pay and it compares very favourably with charges made in many other town and cities."