A GROUP is claiming Bexley Council could find itself having to take its CCTV parking enforcement cars off the road and pay back huge sums in parking fines.

Richmond-upon-Thames Council has already found itself in that position and now the No To Mob group which has begun highlighting the activities of Bexley’s CCTV cars, says Bexley may be in the same boat.

No To Mob claims the council’s four CCTV cars are not properly licensed under the Civil Traffic Enforcement Certification of Approved Devices.

It claims the certificate held by Bexley Council and issued by the VCA fails to specify what camera systems the council is using, unlike other certificates which No To Mob claims have been properly issued.

Instead under the heading “system” the certication just states “mobile vehicle” instead of giving the type and model of the cameras used and other technical data, and is therefore not a “system” under the regulations.

A spokesman for No To Mob said: “It is the camera, recording and review equipment used in the vehicle and in Bexley's back office that should be named as being certificated.”

He claimed : “The certificate held by Bexley is not a document that has any use or value to anyone let alone Bexley Council. It is completely flawed.”

The group wrote to Bexley Council in April, after examining the certificate, warning the certificate may be invalid and suggesting Bexley check its situation.

Resident Nigel Wise uncovered Richmond’s lack of proper certification for its two CCTV cars, when he challenged his parking ticket.

A council spokesman said: "We have discussed the issues raised with both the VCA and richmond and have no reason to believe the authorisation for the vehicles operating in Bexley is not valid."