Motorists have been angered by plans to charge them to visit a popular park.

Stanmer Park, on the northern edge of Brighton, has traditionally been seen as an ideal out-of-town green space by dog walkers who take their pets there by car.

But under new proposals they would no longer be able to enjoy a parking free-for-all inside its boundaries and would instead have to pay £1 in more clearly regimented spaces.

Many have complained they already pay for the upkeep of the city's parks through council tax and resent the idea of the extra charge.

Park visitor David Thomas said: "Some people walk their dogs in the park twice a day and will have to pay £2 a day. That would be £14 a week. They won't do that.

"I thought Stanmer Park was bought by the council for the pleasure of the residents and now they want to charge."

Stanmer is an 18th Century Grade II-listed park which the council says has been suffering from criminal damage at the hands of joy riders.

The council says public consultation demonstrated the need for better parking management and it carried out further investigations with the Friends of Stanmer Park.

They reviewed the existing arrangements and discovered people were parking all over the park and the grassland.

Proposals include rationalising the formal car parking areas at the entrance and within the park; installing wooden bollards and banks to restrict vehicles to roads and the designated car parking areas.

The car parking charge would fund the work and future developments.

But regular visitor Mike Middleton, of Seven Dials, Brighton, said: "It's a disgrace and I'm very much against it. Stanmer Park was my playing field when I was growing up."

Gill Mitchell, chairwoman of Brighton and Hove City Council's environment committee, which is in charge of the park, said: "We still have to work out the details such as how we will fund the scheme and ensure there is free access for disabled visitors.

"We want a balance between those who couldn't access the park any other way than by car and those who can use public transport."

A spokesman for the council said car parking charges were now common in recreational open spaces. The proposal will be discussed at a meeting on October 20.