A spy car fitted with CCTV cameras to tackle illegal parking in Wolverhampton will bring in more than £42,000 a year in fines alone, it can be revealed today.

The car will have automatic number plate recognition and other cameras to identify vehicles parked illegally at schools and in the city centre.

And there are also plans to use it to catch fly-tippers and people littering, as well as drivers using bus lanes.

Last year Wolverhampton City Council raked in £580,000 in parking fines.

Now council chiefs are next week set to approve spending £25,585 to set up the car this year, and £20,185 for each of the following two years to rent and maintain it.

The cost also covers a “back office viewing suite” to look at the evidence.

But the hundreds of extra fines a year will more than cover the cost and swell the public purse at a time when the council is trying to save £65 million over two years.

A new report going before the ruling Labour cabinet reveals the car is expected to catch at least five illegal parkers a day, with fines issued bringing in an annual income of £42,000 if everyone pays within 14 days.

Penalties of either £35 or £25 depending on the offence are doubled if people take longer to pay.

Councillor Bob Jones said today: “Because of these additional new areas of income it should return a surplus to offset the cost of setting it up.” Steve Woodward, head of street scene services, said using the car was cheaper than employing more parking wardens.

It is expected to be up and running in the new financial year.