Camden CCTV car, Compayne Gardens, NW6

Image: © Mike Quinn Taken: 8 Jun 2011

These CCTV Smart cars are operated by two parking ward.... er, Community Enforcement Officers (formerly known as Parking Attendants) - see http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/transport-and-streets/parking/cctv-enforcement/ - for the enforcement of the borough’s parking and moving traffic regulations. Some, however, have been spotted parking on double yellow lines - see http://www.thecnj.com/camden/2008/060508/news060508_03.html . In March 2011, Camden Council admitted that 1,414 drivers could have been wrongly given penalty notices for making a right-hand turn towards Midland Road at King's Cross, just as a diversion sign indicated they should - see http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23927982-a-council-denies-this-cctv-car-was-deliberately-trying-to-catch-motorists-at-a-diversion-now-it-admits-it-may-have-wrongly-issued-1414-tickets.do ; there’s a video by a Mr Wynter who won his appeal against the council and had his fine cancelled at http://www.penaltychargenotice.co.uk/news/another-scam-by-camden-council/ .Camden council claims the diversion sign had been tampered with and denied that the CCTV car was purposefully trying to catch out motorists. Westminster Council said that their cars were not there to make money from motorists, they were just there for people’s safety. But the CCTV cars are tiny and not easy to spot, so a number of public spirited volunteer bikers have been escorting them around the borough so that people may be more aware of them - see http://www.penaltychargenotice.co.uk/news/volunteer-biker-gang-foils-westminster-cctv-car-fleet/ .

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