DOUBLE yellow lines are planned for a popular commuters' parking spot in Bournemouth.

Cavendish Road is five minutes' walk from the town centre and is used by workers every morning to avoid £9 a day car parking charges.

But a residents' campaign has led to proposals for yellow lines on the inside of the circular shaped road and parking bays on the outside.

"I can't afford £9 a day," said an anxious sandwich bar worker arriving for work.

"It's getting to a stage where there's nowhere to park."

The road, off Wimborne Road near Richmond Hill, has numerous flats with off-road parking to the rear.

The complaints were mainly from large houses with driveways.

Many houses have white lines in front of the driveway, which carry no legal force, and commuters sometimes park over them.

A male commuter in a suit said: "If people don't like you parking outside their house, too bad. You have a right to park on the public highway."

Dawn Metcalf, 24, said: "I live in Hengistbury Head. I'd have to leave the house at about 7.30am and walk a mile and a half then get a bus to be in for 9am."

Cheryl Scorer, 49, from Bear Cross, who works at the Halifax, started a petition against the plans.

She said: "It will also affect shoppers - they will just go to Castlepoint for free parking."

Carole Gadsby, a resident and retired lecturer, helped organise a Homewatch meeting of around 20 homes to raise the "awful" parking problem with ward councillor Dave Smith.

She said the number of cars blocked vision and created a safety problem.

Cllr Smith pushed for the proposals and said: "Commuters can car share, bus services are generally better now and they can cycle. It's also national policy to stop people driving in to town centres."

Some residents backed the commuters. One lady said: "It's a shame. Everywhere you go with a car you are getting put upon."