A move to stop people parking all day at Cockermouth Community Hospital is to be introduced.

A number plate recognition system is expected to be used, with people being fined for exceeding a specific time or using the car park when they are not attending the Isel Road hospital. 

Ken Archer, chairman of the hospital's League of Friends, said: "Car sharers are using it as an all-day car park. Shoppers are also using it.

"When the hospital was being built we stipulated that parking had to be free, particularly for relatives visiting patients.

"We had expected there to be problems, which there were."

Barriers were installed at the entrance and and exit of the car park.

Mr Archer added: "When the barriers were introduced people stopped parking there when they should not but now they have gone back to doing it again.

"We need to create some sort of deterrent. Patients and hospital visitors would not be charged."

The building accommodates an 11-bed hospital, surgery, pharmacy, physiotherapy and podiatry department. 

He added: "Something has to be done as the car park is often nearly full and as it becomes more widely used with more facilities in there will certainly not be enough parking spaces." 

Dr Simon Desert said: "We are aware of the issues through our patient participation group and are in the process of using the barriers so that charges can be levied on people using the car park for excessive times or without a reason to attend the health centre."