Ottery St Mary Town Council has given its backing to plans for the signs to be changed at Sainsbury's car park.

However, councillors would like to seek clarification on some minor details including, the times stated on the signs and whether people would get caught out with the installation of the automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.

The signs and cameras are being set up by Euro Car Parks, which manages the car park.

At the town council's planning committee meeting on Monday (June 20), councillors voted to support the application.

Cllr Richard Copus said: "I'm sure our local Sainsburys is very happy with what been amended on it, and I suspect this was dealt with by Euro car Parks in some big office in Birmingham or London."

Mayor Cllr Vicky Johns said she had 'grave concerns' about the use of number plate recognition.

Cllr Copus countered and said: "I don't think any of us are particularly happy about it, are we? But the fact is parking has always been for two hours and a lot of people do take advantage of the fact it's not enforced, or rarely enforced and they do stay in the car park quite a long time, especially at times like school drop-offs and you go round and round that car park looking for a space, so I think it will relieve that and make it easier for people to shop in Ottery."

Cllr Vicky Johns said: "I appreciate that and understand why they want to do it but Euro Car Parks is one of those enforcers that if you have a query, you can never get hold of them on Trustpilot they have got a horrific reputation and I can just see people getting fined left right and centre."