COUNCIL bosses have said they do not know how many motorists have been fined as a result of a controversial CCTV “spy car”.

Privacy campaigners hit out at the Labour-run Oxford City Council after it said it does not hold information about the £30,000 car, which was introduced in April 2013.

The vehicle uses a camera and automatic number plate recognition technology in its car parks to alert wardens to violations.

It comes after the Oxford Mail reported on Saturday that the council made a £4.1m surplus from its car parks in 2013/14. Income was £8.4m.

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Spokesman Chofamba Sithole said: “The system does not record the amount of penalty fines issued, as the mobile system is used for detection purposes only.

“If a vehicle has been identified without payment or a permit, the enforcement officer is required to manually check the car in an effort to verify payment.

“However, if payment cannot be confirmed, a penalty notice will be issued in the normal manner.”

In June, the Government pledged a ban on the vehicles for on-street parking, which is managed by Oxfordshire County Council.

The city council said it will continue to use the Citroen Berlingo “spy car”.

But Renate Sampson, from Big Brother Watch, said: “It’s a greedy and lazy way of using CCTV and it fails to address the root causes of illegal parking and, indeed, parking safety. The council should reveal details of all money made from parking charges, which should lead to more transparency.”

Dia Chakravarty, political director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “The use of these spy cars makes it hard to shake the suspicion that motorists are being used as cash cows.

“Drivers are already hit hard by astronomical rates of fuel tax and road tax, and fines and charges on top when there’s no obvious reason for them is another painful kick in the wallet.

“Parking rules and regulations should be for traffic management and safety, not for revenue-raising.”

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