Residents of a seaside town are at war with new parking meters - which have suffered £40,000 of vandalism before they are even turned on. Around 30 out of 40 new machines in affluent North Berwick have been attacked - causing 38K worth of damage.

They have been spray painted with graffiti, smashed and even covered in glue - before they have collected a penny. Some around the well-heeled town have been defaced with stickers featuring the campaign slogan ''Resist". East Lothian Council installed the 40 new parking meters in the former royal burgh 20 miles east-northeast of Edinburgh. But weeks before the new parking laws are set to come into effect damage has been caused to the machines already.

The parking measures have been controversial and would allow 45 minutes of free parking in the high street.

Drivers would then be charged £1 for up to 75 minutes and £2 for up to a maximum of 90 minutes. The new rules were due to start this week but that has been put back to April.

Locals say a 7,000 strong petition calling for them not to be installed was ignored. One local said: ''There are only a couple of weeks when it's busy in the summer, the rest of the time, it's fine as it is, so it's really just moneymaking.

''The way the council snuck it through wasn't very good. The charges aren't required. There are plenty parking spaces. Nobody can condone vandalism, but everybody hopes they don't get caught.

"I think they should take away the charges. There was a petition that got about 7000 signatures - the towns only got a population of 10,000 - and they ignored it. It's totally undemocratic."

Another said: ''In my view, it's not a significant amount of money they're charging for it, and it should keep traffic flowing through the high street.

'"I don't think it'll impact businesses that much - I don't think it's a bad thing. I don't agree with the vandalism at all, I think it's out of order."

Jane Leason, from Yorkshire but regularly holidays to North Berwick in motorhome and thinks the campaign is "hilarious".

He said: ''It's a lovely place. If you stop cars coming through and put restraints on people, the businesses will suffer.

"I think the 'Resist Campaign' is so funny. It's our demographic. Older people know how to fight for things and they're not going to put up with too much.

"Councils think they can wear people down, but they can't wear older people down. Yes it does get busy during the summer - we know, we come here in the summer - but places like this need tourists to come. And during the quiet seasons, locals just want to enjoy their lives as they are, not pay for tourists.

Robert Leason said: ''This shows the council needs to listen to what the local people are saying.

"The council is too big and too remote to listen to what people are saying, but now people are saying 'you need to take notice of us.'"

Alana Anderson, owner of local business Madame Butterfly, added: ''I've been here eighteen years and when I first heard about the meters, I was terrified. I'm still terrified.

"You read social media and see people saying they won't come to North Berwick again, and the council aren't doing anything to reassure business owners.

"I don't live in North Berwick, and I don't know where I'm going to park. It's a tricky place - people might just get in their fancy cars and go to Tesco.

"I don't think vandalism is the answer, however I'm not really surprised. I do think it's taking it a wee bit far, because I don't think they're going to change the council's mind.

"They've put the machines in, and they're not going to take them down. The vandalism won't get us anywhere. It's delayed it for a couple of months, but I don't think it'll get us anywhere. I think it's fighting a losing battle."

Local resident Andy Robertson said: ''After the holiday season is over, there's loads of spaces to park. I have family that live outside Glasgow, and they have cars - where are they going to park? They're not just coming for half an hour or an hour, so I'll have to buy three parking tickets.

"The vandalism is just stupidity - it's just extra money. The machines will need to be repaired, and where is that money going to come from? It'll be us.The council are going to do what they're going to do. They are the power and they're going to do what they think they should do."

Another local, Carol Smith, added: ''I'm against the meters. The parking is only an issue during the summer months when all the visitors come.

"I think it's unnecessary and it's causing issues for people on residential streets who don't have drives. I think it will cause chaos.

"I think the vandalism is wrong. I sympathise with the feelings behind it, but I think it's just going to cost us more money to get them repaired.

"I don't think the council has listened to the residents at all. I've heard stories of people saying they'll never set foot in North Berwick now."

East Lothian Council leader Norman Hampshire told the BBC: "The council budget can't afford to employ traffic wardens and the income from the parking charges will allow us to employ them.

"If people think by vandalising the machines they will stop the parking charges coming in, we will bring them in. We need to do this.

"North Berwick is a small town, some people will know who is responsible for the vandalism and Police Scotland are confident they'll be able to apprehend the people responsible."

IPS UK that installed them described the vandalism as "totally extraordinary". Managing director Freddie Jones told the BBC: "We have experience of commissioning thousands of parking meters across the whole UK over a number of years.

"We have never seen the sheer volume and extent of the vandalism which has taken place in North Berwick. For a project of this type, it is completely unprecedented."

Police Scotland described the attacks as "unacceptable".

John Wellwood, of North Berwick Community Council, said it was pushing for a legal review of the measures and the process of implementing it.

He said: "We don't condone the vandalism; in fact we condemn it. But the strength of feeling in the town is massive. This is what everybody is against and we can't find anyone who is trying to support it apart from the council.

"Everything we have tried has been blocked by East Lothian Council. So I can understand the frustration people are feeling".

Insp Alan King, of Police Scotland, said the vandalism had caused great expense to the "public purse" while councils were "bearing what are harsh economic times".

East Lothian Council said the delay was not due to the vandalism.

East Lothian Council leader, Councillor Norman Hampshire told the BBC those responsible for defacing the machines would have "action taken against them".

"The council budget can't afford to employ traffic wardens and the income from the parking charges will allow us to employ them," he said.

"If people think by vandalising the machines they will stop the parking charges coming in, we will bring them in. We need to do this.

"North Berwick is a small town, some people will know who is responsible for the vandalism and Police Scotland are confident they'll be able to apprehend the people responsible."