HALF of the tickets dished out by Southend’s spy cars over the last year have been issued in just 34 streets.

Figures released by Southend Council show 11,880 penalties were handed out in 683 locations across the borough between July 2011 and August 2012 - but 5,940 of those were in just a handful of roads.

The statistics have fuelled suspicions the CCTV-equipped vehicles have targeted certain areas to try to catch unsuspecting motorists.

Anne Chalk, an Independent councillor for Shoebury who compiled the figures from raw council data, said: “It’s been clear to many people for some time that these cars are targeting roads, and it has annoyed a lot of people.

“They believe they are being unfairly targeted.

“These numbers show that is the case.”

The spy cars were introduced in July last year, primarily to combat inconsiderate parking outside schools.

They have divided opinion among residents, traders and teachers ever since.

The statistics for their first year show busy London Road was the most likely place for motorists to be caught, with more than 2,000 tickets issued over 12 months.

It was followed by Eastwood Road North, Pavilion Drive in Leigh, Woodgrange Drive in Southchurch and Elm Grove in Thorpe Bay.

Shoebury High Street, which has a small parade of shops, was tenth on the list with 163 tickets.

Mike Bowyer, who owns Dennis the Bakers in the High Street, said a lot of his customers had complained about getting fined.

There are double yellow lines on the opposite side of the road to the bakery.

He said: “It is devastating for us.

“It is not a major road, there is no real heavy traffic. The customers aren’t happy, there is nowhere nearby they can park so they stop, run in and out, and a loaf costs them £30.

“I live in Brentwood and they pedestrianised the High Street.

“There is literally nowhere to park, you have to go into a car park and pay 80p to buy a loaf of bread. They made all the small businesses suffer massively.”

 

COUNCIL chiefs rejected claims the spy cars have targeted certain roads.

Tony Cox, the Tory councillor responsible for transport at Southend Council, said it was “nonsense” to believe the vehicles were deliberately trying to catch out motorists.

The cars are required to follow specific routes each day, but are allowed to deviate if their drivers spot parking offences in passing streets.

Mr Cox revealed he was considering publishing the routes last week to try to dispel the perception of people being targeted.

He added: “The primary purpose of the CCTV vehicles is not and has never been to raise revenue.

“There is nothing secret about them - they are fairly easy to spot.”