Motorists in Sussex have paid more than £35 million in fines and Parking charges in a year.

The figures came as it was revealed the Government was publishing new rules next month aimed at stopping overzealous ticketing.

In 1997/8 East Sussex County Council took just £207,000 from motorists in fees and fines. By 2004/5 this had risen to a whopping £2.4 million.

It represents a rise of 1,081 per cent - the tenth highest increase in the country.

According to the Department of Transport, Brighton and Hove City Council took £3.5 million in 1997/8 and £15.9 million in 2004/5 - the second highest amount in the country and an increase of 352 per cent over eight years.

Birmingham is the only local authority which brings in more income from parking but has an adult population of 769,000.

Brighton and Hove has an adult population of 213,000, meaning the council is bringing in an income of £75 per person per year from parking charges and fines.

The council made a profit of £4.8million which was ploughed into public transport, tree planting and other schemes.

Hastings Borough Council was the second highest earner after Brighton and Hove, bringing in £3.4 million in 2004/5 - up 190 per cent from 1996/7.

Nationally, the amount paid by motorists in parking fees and penalties has doubled to £1.2 billion a year in eight years.

Councils collectively made a profit of more than £450 million from parking last year.

Last year The Argus revealed motorists across the county paid almost £20 million in fines and parking charges in a year.

MPs this week called for standards of parking enforcement to be "vigorously improved".

A report by the Commons Transport Committee, published yesterday, said signs informing motorists where and for how long they could park were "often not clear" with the result that "many drivers have difficulty in understanding and complying with the law".

MPs called on the Government to publish guidance to stress that enforcement was supporting transport policies rather than financial targets as the public suspected. Their report, Parking Policy and Enforcement, said the reputation of traffic wardens was low, administration of enforcement inconsistent, there was a lack of accountability and the parking service needed substantial improvement.

Next month the Government is publishing new statutory guidance to lengthen the grace period before a vehicle can be clamped from 15 minutes to an hour and to encourage councils to consider a two-tier system of penalties, with fines proportionate to infringements.

Parking wardens will no longer be given targets that encourage them to issue as many tickets as possible.

Keith Banbury, chief executive of the British Parking Association, who lives in Danehill, near Uckfield, said new rules would help persuade motorists that parking enforcement was just and necessary.

Mr Banbury, just given an OBE in recognition of his work to give parking attendants a better name while promoting fairer fines for motorists, said: "There are better ways of checking a company is doing its job than giving it a target for the number of tickets."

An East Sussex County Council spokesman said: "Parking schemes are not profit making. All surplus funds raised go into local traffic schemes to improve road safety or reduce congestion."