REDBRIDGE'S CCTV patrol car brought in one of the lowest totals of revenues from fines of any London borough last year, its has been revealed.

Research by Big Brother Watch found that Redbridge Council's CCTV Smart car, which it does not own but leases on a long-term basis, caught 651 motorists for parking illegally or breaking driving laws between April 2009 and the end of March 2010.

The car raked in £32,040 in fines, while its maintenance costs ran to £17,532. The only borough in London to bring in less cash through its CCTV car was Sutton, which doesn't actually operate its vehicle full-time, but instead rents it on an ad hoc basis.

Last year the Guardian reported that the car was only brought into operation in November, despite the lease beginning the previous July.

That September it was revealed that the car would only operate between 8am and 6:30pm Monday to Saturday, and not at all on Sunday.

As recently as last month the car was said to be experiencing software problems, which stopped it from communicating effectively with the CCTV control room in Ilford.

A spokeswoman for Redbridge Council said: “The CCTV vehicle did commence enforcement operations in November last year.

“It is being used to enforce a number of moving traffic offences which were enforced by the police until they were decriminalised and responsibility passed to the Council.

“There is only a very short length of bus lane within the Borough so enforcement opportunity is limited.

“Fixed CCTV cameras and on street enforcement patrols undertake routine parking enforcement across the borough.

“Whilst we have not altered the routine enforcement hours for the CCTV vehicle our contract with the enforcement contractor provides flexibility for the variation of these standard times and for the ad hoc extension of these times to permit targeted enforcement/responses to specific problems.”

Big Brother Watch found there were 31 councils operating a total of 54 cameras across the country.