Parking bosses are facing allegations of discrimination for allowing travellers to park free-of-charge while fining other ticketless motorists thousands of pounds.

Drivers are handed fines of £30 if they do not pay and display at the Black Rock car park near Brighton Marina.

But it has emerged that Brighton and Hove City Council has granted at least 15 caravans and vans free parking because of "health welfare issues" - thought to be code for the fact that one of the travellers has a baby.

Campaigners for fairer treatment of motorists yesterday accused the council of applying double standards in its parking policy.

Steve Percy, chairman of the People's Parking Protest lobby group, said: "I have every sympathy with people who are homeless or who are having difficulties but you have to be responsible with what you owe the world and that means paying things like rates and rents and parking charges.

"If one woman has a baby, okay, but that doesn't mean 20 people should park for free.

"If the council wants to give a dispensation and allow them to stay there without moving them on then that is fine but there is no excuse for not making them pay to park there like everyone else has to.

"It is hugely unfair on other drivers who are getting tickets for relatively minor offences."

Employees of NCP, the council's parking enforcement contractor, made 361 visits to the Black Rock car park between May and September and they issued 291 tickets - which would yield a minimum of £8,730.

James Wilson, 65, who regularly visits the car park, said: "If I want to park in a pay-and-display car park I have to buy a ticket, and if I don't I get a fine.

"The travellers should buy tickets too but instead they are being allowed to flout the law without any punishment.

"Law-abiding members of society are being discriminated against here.

"It's one rule for us and another for them."

Brighton and Hove City Council said it had asked NCP to let the travellers stay temporarily because of health and welfare issues.

Mr Wilson regularly takes his wife Joan, 77, to enjoy an ice cream from a van in the car park.

But last Tuesday the couple found they were unable to enter because of 15 caravans and vans.

Mr Wilson said: "None of them had tickets. I tried to park on double yellow lines outside instead but the parking attendant told me I would get a penalty notice.

"I asked why he wasn't doing the same for the caravans and he couldn't give me an answer."

Mr Wilson returned to the car park over the following days but each time found the travellers had not moved.

He complained repeatedly to the council and says he was told the travellers were being allowed to stay because one of the women had a baby.