THE average cost of car parking has soared in some of the region's towns and cities, a survey says.

The survey, by YouGov on behalf of insurer Direct Line, singled out Darlington as being among the top 20 most expensive places in the country to park, costing an average £3 for a two-hour stay.

It also said car parking prices in affluent Ponteland, near Newcastle, had risen by 89 per cent in the six years from 2000, from 20p to £2 for two hours.

Direct Line said the figures should be regarded as an indication only, and included the cost of council-run and private car parks.

The figures were criticised by some council officials as "misleading and false".

A snapshot of several of the region's biggest towns and cities showed significant increases in Darlington, Newcastle, Sunderland and York between 2000 and last year.

Others showed smaller increases, while in two towns, Bishop Auckland and Middlesbrough, the average cost of a two-hour stay was said to have dropped.

Darlington Councillor Nick Wallis, the cabinet member for highways and transport, said the council had listened to criticism from local traders and had made parking cheaper.

He said: "All of our off-street car parks in the centre of town are £1.60 for three hours and they are the vast majority of our car parks.

"We believe this is good value. The figures in this survey are completely at odds with the vast majority of our car parking spaces. These figures are misleading and false and do not help traders, the economy and the image of the town."

Councillor Ann Reid, of York City Council, said prices at 80 per cent of its car parks had not been increased since 2003.

She said: "Figures show that the number of people accessing the city centre is on the increase, whether that be by driving into car parks, buses or park-and-ride."

Keith Banbury, chief executive of the British Parking Association, said: "Car parking charges throughout the UK are set by the local authority or the private company that owns the car park.

"With limited car parking space and car ownership on the rise, demand for parking is increasing.

"It is, therefore, inevitable that prices set will reflect the additional resources they need to invest when planning, managing and maintaining parking facilities."

Emma Holyer, of Direct Line, said car parking costs were leading many drivers to break the law and park illegally.