A SYSTEM that allows car parking companies access to drivers' personal details puts motorists at risk of identity theft, it has been said.

The allegation is the latest twist in a public protest against fines of up to £90 for staying too long in a supermarket car park.

Professor David Bulman, whose daughter was fined after she parked at the Co-op store in Richmond, said many motorists would be horrified that their names and addresses could be passed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) to the company that runs the car park.

Civil Enforcement Limited, which is appointed by the Co-op to run its car parking, films vehicles entering and leaving, and fines motorists who exceed the two hours' free parking allowed.

A growing number of customers are protesting at being fined £45 or £90 for overstaying by a few minutes.

While the DVLA acted legally in providing the details, Prof Bulman, of Low Row, in Swaledale, said it risked exposing people to fraud.

He said: "I believe that, in general, most people would expect the names and addresses held by a Government agency to only be supplied to the police, or perhaps another Government agency, but certainly not to a private company.

"In these days of identity theft and when the Government is imposing a system where all medical records are to be held on a computer database, this sort of action by the DVLA is totally unacceptable."

A spokesman for the DVLA said the Data Protection Act allowed personal information to be disclosed in some circumstances.

He said: "Requests from private car parking enforcement companies are considered to meet 'reasonable cause'.

"Unauthorised parking on private land is a widespread problem, and landlords would have great difficulty in enforcing their rights if motorists were able to park with impunity on private land. Without the information, landlords could argue that the DVLA was denying them the right to seek redress."

Prof Bulman has written to Richmond MP William Hague to protest at the situation and vowed to join those shoppers who have boycotted the store after they were fined.

A Co-operative Group spokesman said: "Civil Enforcement obtains driver details from the DVLA in order to contact individuals who have breached parking regulations.

"This procedure is standard practice and we have no reason to believe it exposes our customers to the threat of identity theft."

Civil Enforcement Ltd was unavailable for comment.