Drivers in Brighton and Hove have received the second highest number of Parking tickets in the country - for the third year running.

Parking attendants dished out 168,172 tickets in 2004, a five per cent increase on the previous year.

Brighton and Hove City Council was unable to say last night how much revenue the fines had yielded but the authority would have made at least £5 million if each was paid at the £30 discount rate - which motorists must pay within 14 days.

At the £60 standard rate the fines would have yielded more than £10 million.

Only Birmingham, a city with a population four times the size of Brighton and Hove, issued more fines. Attendants there handed out 174,852 tickets.

The figures were revealed in a league table of 117 councils, excluding London, published on Monday by the National Parking Adjudication Service (NPAS).

Drivers were least likely to get fined in Wyre, Lancashire, where only 382 tickets were handed out.

Figures for Brighton and Hove soared above those of other large English cities including Manchester, Liverpool and Bristol.

A parking review for central Brighton being considered by the council could result in all two and four hour waiting bays being replaced with pay-and display machines and the number of zones slashed from eight to two.

Steve Percy, chairman of the Peoples' Parking Protest, said: "When the machines come in I think the income is going to go up dramatically.

"We could easily be at the top of the list next year if it carries on at this rate."

Mr Percy predicted the latest figures would anger motorists.

Teresa Baker, of Caring Lady Funeral Directors in Blatchington Road, Hove, successfully appealed against a ticket which had been slapped on a limousine while it waited to collect mourning relatives.

Mrs Baker said: "I have had a few more tickets since then but I have sent them all back.

"There's no leniency whatsoever.

"I don't think people will be surprised to hear we are second highest.

"Most people say it's an absolute nightmare to park in Brighton and Hove and it's just getting worse.

"I think the council is probably just out to make money."

Of the drivers ticketed in 2004, 411 took their case to NPAS, which adjudicates on appeals that have not been resolved at local authority level.

The council opted not to contest 96 tickets and a further 213 were cancelled.

The figures showed 52 per cent of appeals were successful, compared to the national average of 62 per cent.

Last year 56 per cent of appeals were upheld.

Mr Percy said: "If it's going down that must be due to the fact that parking attendants are cleaning up their act."

Caroline Sheppard, NPAS chief adjudicator, urged councils to be more transparent with their parking statistics and accounts.

She said she was unaware of any parking department which published an annual report.

A city council spokeswoman said there were no incentives to issue more tickets than necessary.

She added: "Tickets have increased alongside an increase in residents' parking zones.

"Every year we are approached by residents calling for enforcement in a particular area and the council has responded to those requests. Any surplus from the parking revenue is ploughed back into the transport-related services in accordance with legislation."

In Hastings 29,617 tickets were issued and 113 appeals were lodged, half of which were successful. In Lewes 4,701 tickets were issued and no appeals lodged.