The Vale of Glamorgan Council is close to commissioning a "camera car" to patrol the streets of Barry and Penarth.

The vehicles use CCTV automatic number plate recognition to identify cars that contravene parking restrictions.

The council hopes the car will ensure parking restrictions in Penarth town centre (particularly "one/two hour no return", "disabled zones" and "residents only" restrictions) are more strictly adhered to.

Cllr Peter King, Vale Cabinet Member for Neighbourhood Services and Transport, told Nub News:

"I am about to take the seat of a camera car which will then need to be commissioned because it needs to be taught where our yellow lines are etc.

"That's part of effective town centre management. Two hour no return parking is great, but only if people actually move their car after two hours. We have a very limited number of enforcement officers so we're hoping that the camera car will help assist in that.

"If there is a greater turnover in parking then there will be an improvement in footfall and if there is an improvement in footfall that should be better for the local COVID recovery."

Nub News asked Cllr King when the car was likely to arrive.

"I'm apprehensive about saying more but I am told it is very, very near."

Bridgend Council commissioned their own camera car in 2018 in order to tackle the problem of motorists parking dangerously outside schools.

It was named 'Roly Patroly' by six-year-old Cwmfelin Primary School pupil Thomas Lewis who won a competition after Bridgend County Borough Council invited local schoolchildren to put forward their ideas.