Two ticket machines which were installed as part of a controversial residents' parking scheme have been vandalised.
The two machines, which are a few yards apart in Westcotes Drive, in Leicester's West End, appeared to have been forcibly pulled out of the ground and left lying on their sides.
The city council installed the machines early last month before the parking scheme went live two weeks ago.
The machines dispense tickets to people who are visiting the area and need to buy a ticket to park there.
The authority said it did not believe money had been taken from the machines, and that the damage was a case of vandalism.
The Leicester Mercury has previously reported that the scheme was popular with some residents, but opposed by others, who objected to paying £25 a year to park near their homes.
A number of businesses in the area also said they feared the scheme would hit trade by requiring people to pay to park.
A resident, who asked not to be named, said: "When I saw what had happened to these machines, I wondered how someone had done it.
"They must be heavy, but they've been pulled up and laid down on their sides.
"They've only been there a couple of weeks, so there can't have been much cash in them, so I wouldn't have thought this is about stealing money. The residents' parking scheme is a very contentious issue.
"If this is a case of vandalism by someone who disagreed with the scheme, then it is wrong and I can't condone it."
Another resident said: "The section of Westcotes Drive where the machines are was never busy anyway before the parking scheme came in, but now nobody can park there at all without paying, so what's the point of it?
"It doesn't seem very sensible to me, so I'm not surprised some people are cross about
it.
"The words 'sledgehammer' and 'nut' come to mind."
A city council spokeswoman said: "These machines were installed in early November, as part of the extension of the Westcotes residents' parking scheme. Our engineers have been out to assess the damage and both machines will be repaired as quickly as possible."
Residents' parking schemes were introduced on the city side of Narborough Road in autumn 2010 before being extended to the Hinckley Road area in October 2013.
The new scheme extends into Western Park where, residents say, cars have been displaced by the Westcotes scheme.
The incidents of vandalism have been reported to Leicestershire Police, the city council spokeswoman added.
