Sick of its car park being used for free long-term parking, Lakes District Hospital is threatening to have the cars towed.
''We see people taking suitcases from their cars and walking through the hospital grounds to the airport,'' hospital operations manager Janeen Holmes said in a statement.
Some people had ignored signs about the car parking rules, so the hospital was keeping the towing option up its sleeve to ensure its 38 parking spaces were used only by patients, visitors and staff.
The new policy came into effect on New Year's Day and the signs were changed to advise that unauthorised vehicles would be towed away at their owners' expense, Ms Holmes said.
Staff had been given parking permits and temporary permits for visitors were available from reception.
Ms Holmes was unavailable for comment, but Queenstown towing companies contacted by the Otago Daily Times said they had not towed any vehicles from the hospital's car park this week.
