Responsibility for parking enforcement across Oxfordshire could be transferred from police to the county council -- increasing the number of tickets issued.

The council is only responsible for restrictions in Oxford. In the rest of the county, enforcement is carried out by 12 traffic wardens working for the police.

Under new proposals, parking attendants would take over from traffic wardens, and there would be tougher enforcement in county towns.

The £40 Oxford parking fine could be increased. Some authorities charge £60 or £80.

David Robertson, executive member for transport, said: "If these proposals go ahead, it will mean much more effective enforcement across the whole county. There is a growing demand for residents' parking schemes and if they are set up, they need to be properly patrolled."

Mr Robertson added that there was only one traffic warden covering the whole of Witney, and he operated only in the town centre.

If the plan went ahead he added, traffic wardens could be employed by the firm hired by the council.

The county council's executive board will be asked on on October 29 to approve a feasibility study into the changes.

David Young, director of environmental services, recommends approval of the principle of introducing countywide decriminalised parking enforcement, subject to a feasibility study. He said Thames Valley Police was likely to support the prop- osals.

He added the scheme would cost £1m and take two years to implement.