A pledge to get the problem resolved shortly has come from the district council after one of the three lifts in a city centre car park is still unusable despite being out of operation for around a month.

The lift is at the Drovers Way car park, operated by NCP, where, in line with other council car parks, charges are due to rise from next week.

There have also been complaints about problems with the pay and display machines in Drovers Way and the adjoining Russell Avenue car parks where frustrated motorists trying to pay with cash have found long queues forming behind them because machines will not accept their coins.

One angry motorist stuck in a long queue to pay said last week: “It’s a joke. It is like this every other day.”

Mike Lovelady, the district council’s head of legal, democratic and regulatory service, said: “We are sorry that one of the three lifts at Drovers Way Car Park is currently not working.

“We are working with NCP to get it repaired and there are signs drawing drivers’ attention to the nearest working lift. Engineers have visited a number of times and we hope to have the problem resolved shortly.”

Mr Lovelady admitted that two of the five pay and display machines in the Drovers Way car parks were affected by problems arising from a software option which the council hoped would be sorted out soon.

He added: “In time, working with NCP, we hope to provide new machines at Drovers Way Car Park.”