Councillors are pressing ahead with plans to privatise Worthing's car parks despite fears of a price hike.

Worthing Borough Council, faced with mounting bills to maintain and repair its portfolio of 30 car parks, is looking for a private operator to take them over.

But there is concern charges might be increased to an extent that they might stop motorists from visiting the town centre to shop.

Councillor David Marchant warned the council's executive that charges in Worthing were already higher than in many other towns and he was also concerned that the private operators might offer incentives to staff to give out parking tickets.

Councillor Peter Green said: "It is going to be very difficult making new arrangements without giving them private operators the commercial freedom to pitch their own prices.

"Refurbishment of the car parks is going to cost a few million and the local NCP car parks have always been much more expensive than our own."