A CASHLESS parking app, which was used by motorists in Bournemouth car parks, has been disabled because of IT security issues.

The Phone and Pay service, which allowed people to book spaces using their smart phone, was withdrawn from Apple’s App store after Bournemouth-based app developer Matt Cheetham claimed it was a ‘security nightmare’. Bemrose Mobile, the firm behind the app, and Bournemouth council say there has been no security breach and no credit card details have been compromised.

However, Bournemouth council has said it is undertaking an ‘urgent investigation’ and will consider whether the matter should be referred to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Matt, 22, started investigating the app after experiencing problems trying to use it. “I quickly realised there wasn’t any security on their server,” he said. “All you had to do was go on a website, type in your mobile number and you could retrieve information.”

Gary Powell, head of traffic management at Bournemouth council, said, “We have received assurances that the app was disabled as soon as issues arose and there was no security breach.”