Parking patrol CCTV cars to get £100k upgrade

The enforcement vehicle mainly patrols roads around schools

A council has approved funding of £100,000 to upgrade CCTV car which captures footage of motorists flouting parking and traffic restrictions and introduce a second vehicle.

Redcar and Cleveland Council sanctioned spending on for new front and rear stingray cameras on its existing car which mainly patrols near schools.

Parking in bus stops was another area set to be subject to increased monitoring, which in some instances blocked passengers from being picked up and dropped off.

Since 2018 the enforcement vehicle had provided evidence leading to 2,450 penalty charge notices, the council said.

A spending decision document said the greatest challenge for officers was the size of the borough and the number of schools with "significant challenges for repeated and equitable enforcement of restrictions".

It said ensuring road safety around primary schools in particular on mornings and at home times was "imperative".

A council spokesman said: "The authority is now looking to deploy a second enforcement vehicle which may be used in areas where crime and anti-social behaviour are identified as ongoing problems, as well as supporting public safety at events."

The Labour-led authority signed off on £99,443 of funding, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The sum included the cost of a five-year support and maintenance contract.