About £74,000 worth of penalty charges have been issued by a council Smart car introduced to clamp down on illegal parking.

The mobile CCTV unit, which boasts a quirky periscope-type camera, has only been on the borough's roads since April, but 2,600 motorists have already fallen foul of its all-seeing eye.

Yet, despite the council's swiftness in issuing thousands of pounds worth of tickets, the car itself does not follow parking regulations, as this photo, taken last month outside Nelson Primary School and handed to the Richmond and Twickenham Times, clearly shows.

Councillor David Trigg, Richmond Council's cabinet member for traffic, transport and parking, said: "The Smart car was introduced to target parking hotspots, improving road safety and congestion, and to act as a visible deterrent to stop motorists parking illegally.

"It has been primarily deployed at schools and in school safety zones, pedestrian crossings and areas marked by zigzags, as well as areas of footway parking problems, loading areas/loading restrictions, bus lanes not covered by CCTV, and for special events, such as those at Twickenham Stadium.

"Safety in these areas is paramount, in particular for children around schools, a number of which have asked for additional enforcement at pick up and drop off times. Feedback has been extremely positive with schools and local residents seeing a significant improvement in safety and a reduction in illegal parking.

"Enforcement locations are kept under continual review to ensure that the most effective and efficient use is made of the car. Demand is growing and we are considering introducing a second vehicle next year."