New regulations will come into force on April 1 which would give district councils the authority to monitor traffic offences through the county's network of 765 security cameras.

But Councillor Bob Seery (Con, Thrapston), cabinet member for highways and transportation, has reassured residents the county council will not be implementing the optional new powers allowed by the Traffic Management Act.

He said: "The decisions taken which affect parking and transport are made at a countywide partnership level, and are taken as a result of discussions we have with all district councils in the county.

"There are a lot of changes under the 2004 Act which we have considered, and we have made sure that we are doing everything we need to do to comply with the new Government regulations.

"Using CCTV cameras to issue parking tickets is not something we have agreed to. It has not been part of our discussions and parking attendants will not be replaced by CCTV cameras in Northamptonshire."

The new civil enforcement regulations for parking offences under the act could enable authorities "to issue parking penalty charge notices by post, use of cameras to detect parking contraventions, and issue penalty charges for parking within the zigzag area of a pedestrian crossing."

Compulsory measures which will be brought will mean parking attendants will become "civil enforcement officers", while there will be two bands for parking fines, depending on the severity of the infringement.

More serious parking fines, for example using a disabled space without a blue badge, will result in a £70 fine, while overstaying a meter will cost £50.

Motorists who threaten traffic wardens, or drive off before the ticket is put on the car, will now receive their tickets through the post.