Parking wardens are planning to snare unsuspecting Boxing Day shoppers in a blitz on bargain hunters.

Council bosses have revealed that wardens will patrol Brighton and Hove as part of a Christmas clampdown on parkers.

It is feared many motorists could be hit with fines of between £40 and £200 if their cars are towed away.

A spokeswoman for Brighton and Hove City Council said its wardens patrolled every day of the year – except on Christmas Day – and there would be no festive amnesty.

The city was last month named and shamed as the country’s parking fine capital, with more fines collected in the city than in any other local authority outside London.

Steve Percy, of Peoples’ Parking Protest, said: “With the amount of money the council have made from parking, you would’ve thought there’s sufficient funds in the kitty to show some generosity over the Christmas period.

“I would have liked to see at the very least the council to be a little less Scrooge-like and look on minor parking misdemeanours with a kinder heart than usual.”

Paul Elgood, Lib Dem opposition leader, said city leaders should make the festive season as enjoyable as possible for businesses and families.

He said: “The council should be less like Scrooge and more like Father Christmas to make the festive season as enjoyable for families and as productive for business as possible.

Some generosity would help to restore confidence that the parking contract is on the side of people and businesses and not the perception that it’s designed just to make money.”

Councillor Gill Mitchell, Labour leader of the opposition, said: “Obviously it would be a very nice gesture to have free parking as no one likes to pay to park.

“If we make an exception for Boxing Day there would be an argument to make all bank holidays free and this would require a lot more considered planning by the council to achieve.”

An AA spokesman added that anyone caught by Boxing Day wardens should appeal if the rules were not clear.

A city council spokesman said: “The pay and display operates all year round and there is no change on Saturday or the bank holiday.

Boxing Day and the bank holiday Monday are almost normal shopping days.”

But other councils in Sussex are introducing a festive amnesty.

In Mid Sussex normal parking restrictions will be in force on Christmas Eve but Christmas Day and Boxing Day will be treated as public holidays.

There will also be no parking charges on Sunday, December 27 or 28.

On-street parking will be free in Lewes, Eastbourne and Hastings on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

However, Crawley’s council- owned car parks will be closed on Boxing Day.

Parking in Worthing will be patrolled for the post-Christmas sales.

A borough council spokeswoman said: “Parking wardens will be working on Boxing Day but on normal pay and on reduced hours and with reduced staff.”