WINCHESTER traffic chiefs are to "blitz" streets near the city's sixth-form college to crack down on students flouting the rules.

The city council is taking action following complaints that parking regulations are being ignored by students at Peter Symonds College and causing problems for nearby residents.

Residents have lobbied the Cabinet over the "chaos" being caused by the student drivers arriving and leaving at rush hour.

A petition of 46 names has been handed in with the additional support of city MP Mark Oaten.

Philip Jones, of Cranworth Road, said: "The problem we face in Cranworth, Owens and Brassey Roads is not just parking but traffic. The students arrive at 8.15 - 8.30am, just at the time the children are being taken to Nethercliffe School. The students are trying to park in a very limited space creating absolute chaos."

Mr Jones said the problem was that the two-hour waiting limit was not being properly policed by the council's parking attendants.

"We are told by the parking office there are three scheduled days in which one sweep is made through there. How can two-hour parking be policed by one visit three days a week?" he said.

Neville Crisp, traffic engineer, said that would soon change. "The parking office is going to blitz the area on a regular basis in the near future which should get the message across."

Council leader Sheila Campbell said: "A couple of fines for the students who are abusing the two-hour limit should do the trick."

David Warren, Peter Symonds College bursar, said there was no certainty that the abuse was being done by students.

He said the college would have no sympathy for students caught breaking the rules. "We do support the city council and we have made it clear to staff and students that the streets are limited time parking, for temporary use."

He said there were more than 2,500 students but only 55 had permits to park on site either because they were disabled or could not realistically travel on public transport.

A factor that may ease the pressure is a European Union proposal to ban 17-year-olds from driving by making provisional licences available only to 18-year-olds.

The Cabinet agreed to amend a traffic regulation order to re-introduce a short-stretch of residents-only parking on the south side of Hatherley Road. Officers will re-examine the issue of returning the whole of one side of Hatherley Road to residents-only parking.