A top traffic warden has spoken of his frustration at the Christmas traffic build-up plaguing Worthing town centre.

Bus services are being delayed for up to 15 minutes by a bottleneck caused by drivers with disabled badges parking in Chapel Road.

With taxis parked on the other side of the road, the main route through the town centre is regularly reduced to a single lane.

Delivery lorries are also adding to the problem, resulting in tempers fraying as Chapel Road grinds to a halt two or three times a day.

With Christmas shopping in full swing, Arthur Greenaway, Worthing's senior traffic warden, is putting out cones on the west side of Chapel Road to deter disabled motorists from parking there.

But he admitted the action would simply push the problem into other roads.

Mr Greenaway said: "Disabled people can park for three hours on any double-yellow line, which means we cannot tell them to move.

"The only thing we can prosecute them for is obstruction but that is a little bit awkward.

"We have been consulting West Sussex County Council highways department to see what they can come up with to solve the problem.

"I think we shall have to put cones out from now until Christmas to stop people parking there because it is murder at times.

"In the last week we have been called out two or three times a day to sort the traffic out.

"It has been building up since they closed South Street, which stopped them parking there and in Bath Place."

Taxi driver Gary Bazley said: "It's terrible and it's getting worse.

"People with disabled stickers just get out and walk off.

"With all these buses going up and down, there isn't enough room."

Councillor Tex Pemberton, of West Sussex County Council, said: "We currently have a loading ban in Liverpool Road, which we are extending by 10m into Chapel Road, which will prevent orange badge holders from parking on the stretch where the taxis turn round.

"We shall be continuing to monitor the situation and if necessary will look at it again."