FED-UP motorists have challenged fellow drivers who say they are the most tolerant in Europe to try and drive around their town.

In a recent survey, British drivers assessed themselves as more tolerant of minor driving irritations than their European neighbours.

But car users in Gravesend say the people surveyed would change their view if they had to drive around the town centre and find a parking space.

Residents and traders say the 600 spaces lost when Lord Street multi-storey car park closed has crippled businesses in the town.

And many report seeing arguments and fights over parking spaces as shoppers, workers and commuters battle through traffic and find no spaces.

British drivers emerged as the most likely to tolerate minor irritations out of 12 countries in the AA Motoring Trust survey.

These include overly nervous drivers, dawdlers and drivers who refuse to let people into their lane.

But Nigel Henderson, the owner of Parrock Street Veterinary Surgery, says tolerance goes out the window when there are bottlenecks in Gravesend.

Mr Henderson said people get angry when they have to drive around looking for a space.

Wellington Street resident Len Ostheimer says the lack of parking in Gravesend is bringing out the worst in people.

He says there has been a lot of threatening behaviour as people get short-tempered with the added traffic caused by people searching for a space.

Parking campaigner Dave Brown from Via Romana, Chalk, says residents of Gravesend have been tolerant but the stress of traffic is beginning to show.

He said: "I should imagine if you gave people a survey after being stuck in the traffic for a couple of hours and not getting parked they would probably have a different view."

Mr Ostheimer said: "I think the people in the survey would be less tolerant if they had to put up with the parking problems we have in Gravesend.

"I think tolerance is very low at the moment."