COUNTY Hall bosses are drawing up plans to arm Lancashire's new army of traffic wardens with wheel clamps, it was revealed today.

A memo obtained by the Lancashire Evening Telegraph reveals plans are afoot to give the parking attendants the power to clamp cars as well.

The memo states that it is intended for clamps to be used to tackle 'persistent' offenders.

Unlike the fixed penalty notices scheme, which will see people fined £60 by any of the 105 wardens, councils are planning to unleash across Lancashire, fines to remove clamps have to be paid on the spot.

In Westminster - which, like Lancashire, uses National Car Parks to provide the manpower on the streets - the fine for removing a clamp is £65 - £5 more than the standard fine.

And drivers must pay the fine up-front to get the clamp removed, whereas motorists can appeal against a fixed penalty notice before having to pay it.

Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe said: "The scheme in danger of falling out of favour with the public because of the heavy-handed attitude of the county council.

"I am all in favour of the scheme, but drivers who get ticketed will get the message.

"There is no need for anything else."

A spokesman for the RAC Foundation said: "This conjures images of traffic wardens hiding behind corners, spotting a driver and then clamping their car. The reason for decriminalised parking is supposed to be that it clears the roads, improves traffic flows and reduces accidents.

"Clamping a car means the vehicle is there longer, because it takes longer to remove.

"It seems as though this is going to become the next speed cameras, supposedly for safety, but really for making money."

Details of the wheel clamping proposal are in a question and answer document released by the county council to district councils.