Parking disputes cause a third of neighbourly quarrels (but noise, hedges and pets aren't far behind)

Disputes over parking account for around a third of all quarrels between neighbours, it was revealed today.

Parking bust-ups are most prevalent in north-east and south-east England, the poll of 23,450 AA members found.

The biggest beef between neighbours is the blocking of access to a property or driveway, followed by parking outside a neighbour's home.

Noise is also a big bugbear among householders, as well as disputes over boundaries, trees and hedges, building work, pets and children.

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An earlier AA/Populus poll showed that 91 per cent of house-hunting AA members looked for a new home with off-street parking - second only to the desire for a safe neighbourhood.

AA Home Emergency Response head Tom Stringer said: 'When Acacia Avenue turns into a residential battleground, it is noise or cars most likely to start hostilities between neighbours.

'Parking traumas are less down to the popularity of cars than the need for both partners to work and be independently mobile. Young workers group together in more affordable accommodation and often have their own vehicles.

'As a result, necessity grows a neighbourhood's car population, squeezes available space, ratchets up friction and, like rats in a barrel, neighbours can lash out at each other.'