The driver of a horse and cart that brought town-centre traffic to a standstill in an extraordinary protest has threatened to repeat it "every day".

Ray Beecham blocked High Street, Croydon, with his horse and carriage for 20 minutes as part of a bitter dispute with the council over parking tickets.

He caused a queue of buses and cars stretching to Wellesley Road before being moved on by police on Thursday afternoon.

LAST WEEK: Bizarre horse-and-cart 'protest' brings traffic to standstill in Croydon

The dad-of-eight has now promised to repeat the stunt unless Croydon Council stops giving him tickets or moves his family to a different home with more parking spaces.

He has received numerous fines for parking vans and cars outside his town-centre home without a permit.

He told the Croydon Guardian: "They've moved us into a place where we've got no parking facilities. I keep getting parking tickets so I had to go up there and tell them, if the parking tickets carry on, I will use my horse and cart.

"I'm going to drive a horse and cart, and if anyone doesn't like it, move out of Croydon. I'll drive the horse in Croydon every day if they want. I could bring 20 horses if I wanted."

Mr Beecham's family lived in a Norbury council house until they were moved out earlier this year so it could be turned into flats. They say their new home, in the town centre, is unsuitable.

He said: "My children have nowhere to play except a main road. I've got autistic children so I have to get them out and about.

"If they can't sort out my parking, I'll have to use a horse and cart because they can't put a parking ticket on a horse and cart.

The council said Mr Beecham, who is registered as a tenant under the name Mr Howard, was not eligible for permits for his "large number of vehicles" because he did not own them.

He visited Bernard Weatherill House, the council's headquarters, with his horse Nelson and cart last week to dispute seven parking tickets.

The unusual scenes caused a stir among nonplussed passers-by, who speculated about the motive for Mr Beecham's protest.

One witness reported he was angry about the "bloody awful local parking", while another said he told them: "I'm protesting about how shit Croydon is."

Daniel Grossett, 33, who owns Playnation Games nearby, said: "It was quite a sight. There was a huge back up of buses all the way up Park Street, right the way up to the Sainsbury's. It was a very odd afternoon."

Mr Beecham insisted he was not being deliberately obstructive.

He said: "I'm not being a pest; there is no law to say that I cannot drive that horse. I wasn't protesting. I was talking to a friend and then everybody started gathering, so I had a little say and went on my merry way.

"I wasn't doing nothing wrong, I broke no laws, and I have the means to ride a horse and cart whenever I like."

He also dismissed suggestions that the horse, kept at a stable outside of the borough, had frozen through fear and refused to move from the road.

He said: "The horse never froze, the horse was stopped. That horse is very intelligent and he's on command. He is well looked-after and well-loved."

Mr Beecham and horse Nelson outside Bernard Weatherill House last week

A Metropolitan Police spokesman confirmed officers were called at 4.16pm to "a man on a horse and cart causing issues with the traffic".

He added: "Officers attended and spoke with the man who moved on from the location."

No arrests were made and no criminal offences were alleged.

Croydon Council said Mr Beecham's Norbury house had been temporary accommodation and he had been told before moving in about the redevelopment plans.

A spokesman added: "We subsequently moved him to a larger property for his family within the borough.

"We were unable to accommodate his large number of vehicles - which he is not the registered owner of - as we have a responsibility to address housing need."