MORE than 800 drivers were fined for parking on zig-zags outside schools after being caught by a controversial CCTV “spy car”.

Wirral Council introduced the vehicle to help with enforcing traffic regulations across the borough.

According to details released under the Freedom of Information Act, 830 drivers were ticketed for parking illegally outside schools and a further 1,438 were fined for parking on restricted streets – all caught by the so-called “spy” car.

The details, published through the Freedom of Information website WhatDoTheyKnow.com, also showed 489 people received tickets – which carry a fine of up to £70 – for parking on a pedestrian crossing or crossing area marked by zigzags, and 254 were caught parking in bus stops.

According Wirral Council, most of those caught paid the fines.

In total, the authority said it had a 72% collection rate for tickets for parking illegally by schools during the period from April last year to March this year, although 104 of them were later cancelled.

Over those 12 months, the CCTV car issued 3,243 tickets.