Motorists living in a London borough are angry after the council changed parking rules to allow drivers to pay and display in residents’ bays.
Westminster Council has decided to allow non-residents to use residents’ bays between 1000 BST and 1600 BST.
It says it will allow guests of people living in the area to visit at a time when residents’ bays are little used.
But the bays have instantly become full during the day – and critics said it was just a way of raising more money.
When BBC News visited St John’s Wood, Westminster, at 1000 BST all the new converted bays were full.
Sylvia Salvendy, a mother of young children who lives in the area, said the change meant she had nowhere to park when she returns from the school run.
Ms Salvendy said: “Sometimes I have to park miles away – it is a 10-minute walk [to get back to my house].
“When you have shopping it’s not easy.”
‘Not needed’
She added: “You might double park to get the shopping in and then you have a traffic warden breathing down your neck.”
Paul Pearson, a parking campaigner, said: “They already take in millions from residents who pay to park in parking bays.
“Now they are allowing anyone in the world to park in their bays – so long as they pay Westminster, of course.”
Westminster Council’s parking manager Kieran Fitsall said: “We have 500 bays which we are offering up.
“They are not needed as much during the off-peak times in the day when visitors are coming in – and residents are often not using their cars.”