Drivers warned! Parking cameras switched on at Oldbury Green Retail Park
Cameras have been installed at a retail park in a bid to clamp down on drivers 'abusing' its car park.
Shoppers have been warned they will be hit by fines if they overstay at Oldbury Green Retail Park.
Shopping centre bosses say drivers have been routinely staying longer than the three hours allowed.
ANPR cameras will now track when vehicles enter the retail park - with those who stay longer than three hours to be hit with penalties.
Parking will continue to be free at the centre on Oldbury Ringway, which has shops including Argos and Next, but the cameras will monitor how long vehicles are staying.
The system will be run by Parking Eye on behalf of Workman, which manages Oldbury Green.
Bosses have taken action after growing frustrated with drivers who have been leaving their cars at the centre, which has around 650 spaces, for hours and denying spaces to shoppers.
Signs will go up warning shoppers they will face fines if they stay longer than three hours.
Why have the cameras been installed?
Parking Eye said in a statement: "The proposal seeks to provide management of the existing car park to reduce car park abuse and ensure that spaces are available for genuine site users."
The action follows the introduction of a similar system over the road at Sainsbury's which launched a crackdown on drivers abusing its car park last year.
Oldbury councillor Susan Downing said enforcement is a fair way to ensure the car park is used appropriately.
She said: "It will bring the parking restrictions into line with what else is in the town.
"Parking spaces are limited in Oldbury and the town does have parking issues and perhaps it will keep the facility moving and bring shoppers in and out of the town."
It is the latest parking enforcement facing drivers in Sandwell. A bus lane in West Bromwich raked in £1.3 million in just a year after cameras were put up to try and stop drivers using it as a short cut.
A staggering 61,712 fines were handed out to drivers who cut through the bus zone in New Street, West Bromwich in the year to December - 175 every day on average.
