Car parking charges have been accused of bringing motoring “mayhem” to a Suffolk town as drivers desert paid-for bays and jostle for roadside spaces instead.

Framlingham district councillor Christopher Hudson says the town is “fast becoming a parking nightmare” after charges were introduced at the Fore Street site earlier this week.

“Traffic is now parking along the lane, it’s becoming too congested, increasingly dangerous and I’m worried there will be an accident and some very unhappy residents before too long,” he said.

Mr Hudson claims at least six people have raised traffic concerns with him following the launch of Suffolk Coastal District Council’s pay and display system on Monday.

He has called for the issue to be addressed “urgently”, labelling the current scheme “as useless as a chocolate poker”.

Businesses at the north end of Fore Street, where Mr Hudson says the problem is worst, have echoed his concerns. “It’s definitely a nightmare trying to get to the office and it causes mayhem going up and down the road,” said Graham Ventham, director of Conrad Consultancy.

However Andrew Nunn, Suffolk Coastal’s member for the green environment, claims to have received “positive comments” from people who have welcomed the introduction of charging as it has “unblocked” the previously-congested Fore Street site.

“I am not aware of this causing any difficulties with on-street parking,” Mr Nunn added.

Suffolk police says it has not noticed any great change in parking habits since the introduction of the charges but has reminded motorists that those parking illegally will be “dealt with in the appropriate manner” with fixed-penalty notices.