THE Isle of Wight Council says it has no plans to replace a car park ticket machine, set to be removed following repeated vandalism.

The machine, in the car park off The Broadway, Totland, has been the target of vandalism at least five times in the last five years.

Tomorrow (Friday), it will be removed.

Motorists using the car park from then on will be required to use PayByPhone to pay for parking.

Island residents have been quick to criticise the decision, citing additional charges and a lack of inclusivi,ty, among their primary concerns.

A spokesperson for the Isle of Wight Council said: "Unfortunately, because of the ongoing vandalism suffered at this car park, there will no longer be an option to pay for parking with cash.

"We appreciate that this will mean inconvenience for some car park users, but this should apply to only a small minority of those who currently use this car park.

"Our records show that 80 per cent of Broadway car park users stay for up to an hour, which is free of charge.

"At the moment, there are no plans to put another machine in this location."

PayByPhone states that by using its service, there may be a separate service fee and additional charges for receiving SMS text messages and receipts, which are added to the tariff amount.

These may be displayed locally, at each parking location and in the app, before confirming your parking session.

Read more here: Council to remove ticket machine following repeated vandalism