But drivers whose parking tickets have expired, for example, will see their fines reduced from £60 to £50.

The changes arise from the introduction of Civil Parking Enforcement and Govern-ment guidelines on charging levels.

Calderdale Council is expected to be up to about £17,000 worse off as a result of the new system, which comes into effect on March 31.

Nearly 40 per cent of fines are currently due to dangerous parking and motorists failing to display a parking ticket, which 60 per cent are due to motorists overstaying their paid-for time limit, according to the council's highways chief Ian Thompson.

The change comes at time when the council's parking budget is facing a £120,000 shortfall and councillors are about to review every aspect of parking as part of a review, which could take up to 16 months complete.

A sum of £50,000 was set aside at last months budget meeting to help plug the hole and avoid any short-term increase in parking charges.

In a bid to save £40,000 a year, It was also agreed to privatise the council's 21 parking wardens, who in future will be civil enforcement officers, but many councillors don't believe that will be enough.

One of the reasons the parking budget is struggling this year is that public pressure forced the council to scrap the idea of charging 2,500 residents £25 for permits to park near their homes.