A £62,000 SURVEILLANCE car to crack down on bad drivers has been unveiled.

Middlesbrough Borough Council’s new car will be used to spy on people who park dangerously near schools, bus stops and pedestrian crossings.

The cost of the vehicle and equipment has been funded from the Government’s Local Transport Plan, with annual running costs estimated at around £8,000.

It will be clearly marked as Middlesbrough Council’s Road Safety and Enforcement Vehicle and the idea is to change driver behaviour and reduce road casualties around the town’s 50-plus schools and 700 bus stops.

The silver Peugeot 107 is fitted with equipment to record parking contraventions, and will allow for many more schools to be covered during critical start and finish times and many more bus stops and pedestrian crossings to be checked throughout the day.

The car will only be used for these three purposes and cannot be used to enforce other issues such as parking on yellow lines.

A council spokesman said any money generated from Penalty Charge Notices will be reinvested in road safety or transport initiatives.

Councillor Nicky Walker, Middlesbrough council’s executive member for environment, said: “The vast majority of parents do park with the safety of children in mind, but there are a persistent few who park dangerously or in restricted areas at school start and finish times.

"Our priority is not income generation, but to act as a deterrent and change behaviour.”

*An earlier headline published on this article said Cleveland Police was involved when it is, in fact Middlesbrough Council. We apologise for the error.