County council leader Keith Mitchell has hit out at private parking enforcement firms.

On Monday, the Oxford Mail reported on the anger caused by private parking enforcement outside Royal Mail’s East Oxford delivery office in Littlemore.

Mr Mitchell – whose the council is responsible for enforcing car parking on public highways – said some firms have no basis for demanding money on private land.

The body which represents Britain’s parking sector denied this, saying motorists enter into a contract when they drive into a private car park.

Mr Mitchell said: “What private companies issue is not an official penalty charge notice and I don’t think it has any legal basis.”

UK Parking Control, the company which enforces parking on the Nuffield Industrial Estate off Sandy Lane West, says its charges follow guidelines set out by the British Parking Association (BPA).

A BPA spokesman said: “The majority of tickets issued on private land are done so under the law of contract.

“As a motorist enters a site and decides to leave his vehicle there, he has entered a ‘contract’ with the landowner which is outlined on the signs.

“Any guidance given to simply ignore a parking charge notice would be inadvisable as operators can and will take motorists to court.”

Mr Mitchell said: “If you ignore the fine then nine times out of 10 they go away.”

But he added: “You need a bit of nerve to do it.”