PARK badly and you will be clamped - that is the stark warning being issued to patients, visitors and staff at Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Warning signs have been put up at the hospital in a desperate bid to stop people parking "hazardously" - blocking ambulance bays and bus stops.

"Inconsiderately or dangerously" parked cars on the site are also having flyers put on their windscreens warning persistent bad parking may result in clamping.

Councillor Mike Layland, city councillor for the Nunnery Ward, condemned the move.

"Effectively, this is taxing people because they are sick - it just isn't on," he said.

"All this is going to do is force more people into parking on the roads surrounding the hospital because people will not be willing to pay extra parking costs."

The £95m hospital, built two years, ago has been regularly condemned for its parking arrangements.

Work began last November to create more spaces, but as construction progressed, parking mayhem ensued.

A new one-way system meant buses were no longer able to reach the hospital's main entrance - leaving sick patients stranded.

A rise in parking charges - made in an attempt to discourage people from "abusing" the facilities - was met with outrage from staff who branded the increase a "rip-off."

Insufficient free staff parking meant they had no alternative but to pay £6 for a full day's parking in the main car park, they claimed.

A lack of spaces has caused visitors to resort to parking in bus stops, on double yellow lines, and on grass verges on land surrounding the hospital.

This is despite Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust adding 170 extra spaces to take capacity up to 1,370 in February.

Now the trust says it will no longer tolerate inappropriate parking.

Trust spokesman Richard Haynes said: "The main issue is where badly parked vehicles are creating a safety hazard, and that includes double yellows and bus stops.

"The message seems to be getting across because there have been far fewer badly parked cars visible around the site in the last few days and we have not yet had to clamp anybody at all, so a big thank you to patients, visitors and staff for heeding the warnings."

He said the first phase of the parking improvements have freed up far more spaces for patients and visitors.

The next phase of improvements will start in April and will see an extended staff car park.

Pay and display machines are also being installed to cover areas outside new barrier-controlled parking zones.