STAFF banned from parking at Kidderminster's new superstore have been subjected to verbal abuse and had their cars damaged by angry neighbouring residents, it has been claimed.

Now managers of Tesco say they will try to secure a site as a dedicated staff car park and will this week review their policy of staff parking at the town centre site.

A Tesco worker, who did not want to be named, said people living in Park Lane and Park Street had reacted with fury to staff leaving their cars in their roads.

He said: "There's plenty of room in the car park. Some staff start on staggered shifts at 10am or 11am and they can't park in public car parks which are full by then and so they park on streets which is annoying the residents.

"Eight cars have been damaged by scratching with a key over the last couple of weeks and we've had female members of staff in uniforms who have been verbally abused while walking to their cars," he said.

But he added: "I can understand residents' anger." And he said a petition calling for a reversal of the ban had been signed by most store workers.

Further parking misery in Kidderminster following the demolition of the Market Street and Pitts Lane multi-storey car parks last year was predicted in February when Tesco's policy was revealed.

Diane Haywood, police liaison representative for the Park Lane Residents' Association, admitted there had been a "bit of friction" since the 24-hour superstore opened in February.

She added: "We are experiencing more parking in Park Lane since Tesco opened. Residents drive off and somebody pops into their space."

Store manager Chris Woolfenden said none of his staff had complained directly to him about cars being damaged but said he was "aware" of it - though not of staff being verbally abused.

He added: "I've heard some staff say their cars have been damaged in back roads round here. Some of my section managers have said it. But I'm not suggesting residents are doing it."

He denied this was linked to the policy of not allowing staff to park in the store car park - which resulted from a lack of parking at the town centre store - although he admitted it was "not ideal".

"The store requires about 720 spaces but we are 180 spaces short," he said. "Quite often there are just not enough car parking spaces and primarily car parks are for customers to use."

Mr Woolfenden stressed: "I'm desperately trying to help our staff any way I can."

Solutions being pursued by Tesco's head office include trying to secure a site near the store to create a dedicated staff car park, he said.

Colin Campbell, West Midlands stores director said: "The business has outshone all our predictions but we've been logging how many spaces customers are not using. It's being reviewed this week, and we may gradually in-fill staff back into the car park."

He added: "Our property department is trying to get more land to rent or buy for a staff car park."