Car owners are demanding a change in Parking regulations, saying they have to move their vehicles every two hours if they leave them near their homes.

Some are even considering demolishing front walls so they can park in their gardens.

More than 50 householders in the Seven Dials area of Brighton have signed a petition which is being delivered to Brighton and Hove City Council asking for residents to be treated differently from commuters.

Anthony Bullock, 37, of Windlesham Avenue, said he had received five parking tickets in the past month following a crackdown in the area.

He protested: "This is a community up in arms. We don't object to action being taken against commuters and outsiders who want to park here but why should residents themselves be penalised?"

Mr Bullock said it was becoming impossible for anyone living in Windlesham Avenue, Windlesham Road or Windlesham Gardens to park near their homes.

Not only was there a nine-month waiting list to receive a resident's parking permit, there were also only a handful of resident bays to be shared between 300 houses.

The only alternative was to park in the bays with two-hour limits, said Mr Bullock.

He added: "At the moment my wife has to go out with our two children every two hours to move the car. When we go away I have to park my car about a mile away in Dyke Road.

"Some people are even thinking of knocking down walls and parking in their front gardens."

Residents are demanding they be allowed permits allowing them to park in limited waiting bays, a system which is operates in parts of London.

The petition has been sent to the Parking Information Centre in North Road and copies have been passed on to David Lepper, MP for Brighton Pavilion, and Regency ward councillors.

Councillor Roy Pennington said: "I share the concerns of these residents that there are serious inadequacies regarding parking in the area. I will seek to have the restrictions reviewed as soon as possible."

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: "The parking regulations have not changed but are now being properly enforced unlike before.

"If residents are having a problem we can look at creating more resident parking bays in the Windlesham area as part of the six-month review being carried out in January. If residents put their concerns in writing they will be looked at.

"In the meantime, it would be irresponsible of us to enforce the regulations only against commuters. The alternative is to park further away and walk but it is understandable this is not very convenient."