Bristol motorists will soon be able to pay for their parking through their mobile phone.

The city council is introducing the scheme in most of the street bays and car parks it operates.

There will be a trial before Christmas, beginning in the streets around the Wills Memorial Building on Queen's Road, Clifton.

The service, called RingGo, is already used across the country by a number of other local authorities and private car park operators.

These include all First Great Western railway car parks including those at Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway stations.

Motorists who choose to pay by phone ring through to a telephone number having parked their car.

This will be the same Bristol number – 0117 341 9000 – that is used by the railway.

When connected, they key in a four-digit identification code on their mobile phone to notify their location, give the number plate details of their car and authorise the council to take the fee directly from their credit or debit card account.

The scheme has the potential to lower operating costs which would allow the Bristol City Council to invest more in on and off street safety and security measures.

The wardens who patrol the car parks and streets will be equipped with mobile phone-based equipment to monitor which cars have paid for cashless parking and when their time will run out.

They already use a similar method to monitor the times on pay and display tickets.

Councillor Mark Bradshaw, executive member for sustainable development at Bristol City Council, said: "The advantages of offering phone parking to motorists are clear.

"Many people simply don't want to carry change for their parking and would rather pay by credit or debit card. As a council, we want to offer our residents and visitors choice and introducing RingGo is a quick, proven and effective way to do this.

"Cashless parking has already been a success when used elsewhere in the South West and I have no doubt that it will be taken up by a great many people parking in Bristol over the coming months."