GLITCHES in a new parking management system designed to ease congestion in Fareham should be ironed out within two weeks.

Final tweaks are being made after recent complaints that electronic car park signs displaying availability were wrongly stating the car parks were empty when they were full - and full when spaces were free.

Changes also need to be made to ensure cars and motorcycles are registered differently in the council's 18 pay-and-display car parks before the system is fully operational, say council chiefs.

Once the eight new signs are working they can be updated throughout the day to tell drivers when and where they can park.

Fareham Borough Council spokesman David Perry said the system is still in its early stages.

He said: "It is not our impression that the situation is chaotic.

"We've had a couple of complaints. Eagle-eyed residents will make a comment to us and they will pick us up on it but it is by no means chaotic.

"We thank the residents who alerted us to these issues."

Drivers using the Market Quay car park said that they had little or no problem finding somewhere to park. Fareham resident Hazel Hockey was surprised to even hear that the system had been criticised.

She said: "Are they (the signs) going wrong then?

"I think they're a brilliant idea."

The fully functional system will operate by registering every vehicle that passes through the car park with copper cables laid under the ground. The information gathered will be fed back to Hampshire County Council, which operates the system on the Borough Council's behalf.

The information is fed to the signs, leaving a few spaces free to allow the signs to update and remain accurate.

Mr Perry added: "If the system isn't sensitive it would not be accurate."