Darlington Council is taking legal action to stop plans for a weekly car boot sale at the town's new football stadium.

The authority says the event at the Reynolds Arena on Sunday will breach planning regulations and the town's market charter.

On Tuesday afternoon, the council began seeking a court injunction to stop the first sale.

But Darlington Football Club chairman George Reynolds could not see why they objected.

"It doesn't interfere with their market because they have theirs on a Saturday. Our car boot sale is on a Sunday," he said.

Planning conditions for the stadium state that it must be used only for football but Mr Reynolds said he believed there was nothing in the agreement to stop him.

"We've got car parking for 1,500 cars. What is the difference with people using the car park for a game or using it to park and sell stuff? It's doing no harm, it's out in the country," he said.

"It's not upsetting anybody. The general public like it. We've got the car parking facilities done right. We've got proper white lines. It will be stewarded right. So what's wrong with that?

"Who gives anybody the right to take away what the general public want. If the general public don't want it they won't turn up, will they?"

A residents' parking scheme for streets neighbouring the arena will come into force tomorrow for the Quakers' home match against Boston United.

The streets will become residents' and visitors to residents'-only parking on match days and evenings.

It will be operational from three hours before advertised match kick-off time and cease to be operational at the end of each game.

Any unauthorised parking will result in a £60 fine.

Jan Mazurk, of the Neasham Road Action Group, welcomed the parking scheme but was very worried that the planned car boot sales would cause extra traffic and parking problems.

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