Police have pledged to blitz drivers parked on single yellow lines in Burgess Hill town centre.

They say regulations coming into force on February 18 will stop traffic jams and make it easier to police.

PC Jon Lelliott said: "Certainly we will have a real blitz in the first week or two. It should make life safer in a whole lot of respects. "

The new regulations are being introduced by West Sussex County Council to end two years of parking chaos.

The problem began in May 2000 when a resident won an appeal against a fine for parking on a single yellow line in Church Road.

The driver had been prosecuted under a traffic order for Church Road approved in 1980.

But a clause in the regulations said the restriction would not apply if it clashed with any earlier orders.

The resident discovered a 1978 order for Church Road which allowed limited parking had not been revoked when parking changes were introduced two years later. As a result police were powerless to enforce the restrictions.

The greatest problem area has been Church Road. It was so bad on Saturday that PC Lelliott used cones to ban parking. He said: "There wasn't one jam."

Problems have also been encountered in Mill Road, Cyprus Road and Civic Way.

PC Lelliott said: "The single yellow line means you are permitted to park there if you are loading or unloading bulky goods. It doesn't mean you can stop there and go and do a little bit of shopping.

"It is good news it has finally been sorted out. However, it becomes more difficult because there is no traffic warden and only myself to do the enforcing.

"It's a £30 fine and goes up to £45 if you fail to pay. Then it is registered with the court. If you want to contest it, you go to court."