Norwich's council-owned parking payment machines all now accept the new £1 coins, but council bosses say it would be too costly to convert them so people can pay by card.

For months, drivers parking in Norwich were left frustrated at how parking machines at a number of Norwich City Council-run car parks were not taking the new 12-sided coins.

The new coins were introduced back in March, but there were delays in getting machines converted to take them, despite City Hall bosses saying they had 'done everything' possible to prepare for the switch.

While the three multi-storey car parks accepted the coins, the council was left waiting in the queue for the contractor to make changes to pay and display meters in its surface car parks and on-street parking areas.

That left drivers having to hoard old pound coins, while some shopkeepers had grown used to people asking them if they could change new coins for old ones.

However, the council has said the machines in all off-street car parks now accept the new coins.

They said 21 on-street parking meters take both and a further 50 meters now take only the new £1 coins.

From October 15, when the old 'round pound' coins stop being legal tender, all the machines will only accept the new £1 coins.

But, while new tickets machines in South Norfolk Council's car parks mean people can check-in and check-out using cards, bosses at City Hall say they are not planning to introduce card payments.

A spokeswoman said; 'All the multi-storey car parks accept card payments.

'There are no plans to upgrade the pay and display machines to accept card payments at this time, due to the costs associated with doing so.'

However, the council does have some further converting to do.

The new £10 Jane Austen note, made using the same materials as the polymer £5 note, will enter circulation next Thursday.

And that means the city council is working to get its multi-storey car park pay machines upgraded by next Thursday, so they can take the new notes.