A campaign group has welcomed a government decision to ban so-called ‘spy cars’ from issuing parking enforcement fines.

The government on Saturday announced a raft of measures to clamp-down on certain parking enforcement practices employed by councils, such as using the cars for illegal on-street parking offences.

By the autumn, the deregulation bill will come into force, making it illegal for CCTV spy cars and static cameras to issue fixed penalty notices for on-street parking but not moving traffic violations.

The No To Mob, set up in July 2010, warns motorists about hotspots and exposes flaws in council CCTV spy car and static camera operations. 

Member Steve Baker, from Enfield, regularly visits Waltham Forest and was one of two members who recently videoed a council spy car driver ignoring two no-entry signs in Hampton Road, Chingford.

He said: "This is a stunning victory for us as we were the only campaign group that really challenged the parking enforcement industry."

Councils will still be able to use the cars to issue postal tickets for any offences that occur on critical routes, such as zigzag lines, bus stops, bus lanes and red routes.

For more on this story see this week's Waltham Forest Guardian.