COUNCILS should use the same powers on travellers using public car parks as on everyone else, an MP says.

Christchurch MP Sir Christopher Chope made his comments in Parliament during a debate on a private member's bill to introduce a code of practice for private car park operators.

Addressing proposer and fellow Conservative Sir Greg Knight, Sir Chris said: "In my local authority area of Christchurch there is a lot of resentment about the fact that when, for example, Travellers invade the car park, they are treated with impunity, whereas people who may have just overstayed by 20 minutes find themselves having the book thrown at them.

"Can we ensure that the Bill is used as a vehicle for getting equal treatment for all motorists who park in private car parks?"

Sir Chris told the Echo his proposal was acknowledged and he hoped to see it incorporated into the bill in some way when it is returned to Parliament this summer.

He said he would seek to make an amendment if not.

"I thought it was a good opportunity for introducing a requirement that local authorities should apply the rules in their car parks on an equal basis to all vehicles and their owners.

"I gave examples of people in Christchurch who have complained to me that when travellers are in a council car park, as at Highcliffe last summer, they don't get a ticket slapped on their screen.

"There was no attempt to impose any enforcement against these people, which seemed to me to be totally unfair."

Sir Chris said he had been told "health and safety" fears were the reason council enforcement officers did not attempt to give tickets to those parked illicitly yet identified as travellers.

"They felt intimidated," he said.

"Surely that would be a matter for the police. You can't have people being intimidated. The rule of law should be applied equally."

Sir Chris said he backed the original purpose of the bill to tackle 'rough' parking firms.

In Parliament, he asked Sir Greg about the "inadequate behaviour" of the DVLA, which he said should "stop giving access to its database to rogue parking companies".

Sir Greg said: "My understanding is that the DVLA does refuse to give access to rogue parking companies, so the threshold beyond which a company is regarded as 'rogue' is perhaps what needs changing. That is the point."