Two protest groups formed to fight a council's new Parking restrictions have fallen out over the right to park in residents' bays.

The People's Parking Protest and the Traders Against Parking Persecution (TAPP) were set up with the same purpose - to get a fairer deal from Brighton and Hove City Council over parking regulations.

However, they are now at loggerheads because the traders want to park for longer on residents parking bays while the resident-based People's Parking Protest says the bays should be just for residents.

Steve Percy, who runs System Electronics in Seven Dials, set up his People's Parking Protest to get a fairer deal for residents in central Brighton.

TAPP was set up to fight the new £3 charge for waivers, which allow traders to park on yellow lines.

It is also demanding changes to the pilot scheme of traders' permits. These allow traders such as electricians, plumbers and builders to park in restricted areas, such as residents bays, for up to two hours.

At present they cannot park in the bays, even with a permit, after 4pm.

TAPP spokesman Roger McArthur said: "We are asking for the right to be allowed to park after 4pm so our members can finish their work.

"At the moment, someone who works after 4pm to finish off a job is liable to get a £60 ticket, even if they have paid £75 to get a quarterly traders' permit. We want to be able to park to work."

However, Steve Percy said: "We can't support the traders on this.

"People pay £80 a year for a residents' parking permit and they don't want to come home from work at 5pm to find their spaces taken up by traders.

"The council seems to be letting nurses, midwives and now traders park on these bays.

"They are letting them out three or four times over. If I sold something three or four times over, I would be prosecuted.

"The traffic wardens are giving out tickets to anyone who flouts the parking rules."

Mr McArthur said: "I can't understand why Mr Percy is not supporting us on this as he is a trader himself.

"His shop in Seven Dials is surrounded by double-yellow lines.

"The only way for someone to, say, decorate his shop without causing an obstruction, would be for a decorator to park with a permit in the nearest residents' parking bay.

"We are paying £300 a year for these traders permits, the residents are paying £80 a year.

"Where are we supposed to park when working in central Brighton? In mid-air or something?

"We may have had a common purpose with Mr Percy in the past but he has now told us he is in conflict with us over our need to park after 4pm.

"I am sorry he is not supporting us on this."