VICTORY is in sight for residents involved in a 25-year battle over parking as transport chiefs

prepare to roll out yellow lines.

Householders in Charles Knott Gardens have been fighting to turf out city commuters who have clogged their streets with cars for decades.

Some residents in the quiet cul-de-sac even sold their houses because the constant parking nightmare was too much to bear.

Dustcarts were trapped by double-parked vehicles, ambulances struggled to weave through the traffic and residents claimed they lived in fear of aggressive drivers.

Now an end is in sight as Southampton City Council launches a new set of plans to move the motorists on.

The scheme will see single yellow lines painted on kerbsides between Southampton Common and Archers Road.

Scores of commuters should be moved out of their edge-of-town free parking spots and forced to find paid-for parking or even use public transport.

Neighbourhood spokesman Clive Parker, 58, said: "This is what everybody needs and it will really help. People won't be allowed to stay longer than two hours. Over the last ten years especially, this has been a major headache."