MOTORISTS are furious at a new "money grabbing" car parking scheme in Redcar.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council is introducing a scheme into Redcar High Street this week that involves drivers entering their car registration number.

This forms part of the validation for short stay tickets, and it prevents motorists from handing tickets on.

Councillor Sylvia Szintai, lead member for environment and infrastructure, said the council needed to "eliminate this fraud".

But the move has created an outcry among town centre car park users. Pensioner George Stonehouse said that he regularly passed his ticket on to other drivers and said the council's actions were "very wrong".

"It is not costing the council anything, I don't agree with it. It is the council money grabbing, it hasn't put the council tax up so it needs to get the money from somewhere. It is expensive and a lot of money for pensioners. It is a bad move altogether."

Mother of four Julie Pitt said: "I think it is really bad. Sometimes, you just need to park for a few minutes to pop in a couple of shops and it makes it really difficult with all the kids.

"I think the charges are high enough as it is. I think they could get the money from somewhere else."

Coun Szintai said the council is also introducing a 60p flat rate fee for one-hour parking and £1 for two hours.

"The council is upholding the law and has a duty to get the best for the council tax payer, that is how we have been able to keep no raise in the council tax," she said.

"We are trying to be fair to everyone. We don't think people will have the need to pass on tickets because of the new rates."