Automatic fines issued through the use of CCTV cameras to be made illegal by upcoming Deregulation Bill, government says.

Using CCTV alone to catch and prosecute drivers who have parked illegally will soon be against the law, the Government has said.

In what it’s hailing as “a victory for drivers and shoppers”, Whitehall has announced that the Deregulation Bill will make it illegal for councils to use CCTV cameras, including those mounted to so-called ‘spy cars’, to issue automatic fines to drivers for parking infractions. Instead, a parking warden will now have to fix the ticket to the car windscreen.

Automatic tickets will, however, still be issued on “critical routes” where public transport must be kept moving for safety reasons – in other words, on bus lanes, at bus stops, and on red routes, as well as outside schools.

The move comes as part of the Government’s attempts to make it easier and cheaper for drivers to park in town and city centres, which it hopes will diminish the exodus of shoppers to out-of-town retail parks with free parking areas.

Other measures it intends to implement include trialing a 25 per cent discount on the full fine for motorists who lose an appeal against a parking ticket at a tribunal; offering local residents and businesses a chance to review parking policies in their area; and changing guidance to ensure that drivers are not fined when a parking meter is out of order and there are no other ways to pay.