Extra cash raked in through parking machines that fail to give change goes towards car park maintenance, the district council has confirmed.

Last week a Free Press investigation revealed drivers in Chiltern and South Bucks have been overcharged hundreds of thousands of pounds by parking machines that are unable to give change – in the latest parking farce to hit the county.

In light of the revelation, the district councils have assured drivers all money collected in the machines goes towards development of the car parks.

Spokesman for the councils, Kate Murray, said: “We try to maintain safe car parks for all users and our car parks have achieved the safer parking award.

“Income from car parking supports service delivery, maintaining the car parks and associated equipment, and contributing towards car park development”.

Shocking figures showed that in five years CDC kept £286,537 that should have been returned to drivers.

Figures released by SBDC showed an additional £33,146 has been collected – however the full cost of the controversial system is yet to be revealed, as SBDC was only able to provide figures from 2016 to 2018 and Wycombe District Council failed to release any information at all.