Security could be tightened at an Oxford car park after claims that the county council is being cheated out of cash, writes Rebecca Smith.

Beggars are accosting motorists, persuading them to hand over their parking tickets and then selling them to other drivers.

One woman reported seeing more than 30 transactions in a hour as she sat in her car at Worcester Street car park.

Two men approached drivers as they were leaving the pay and display car park, got hold of their 1.50 tickets and sold them to other drivers for as little as 30p. Graham Smith, the county council's chief assistant engineer, said they were aware of the problem, which only affected Worcester Street car park, and had received complaints before.

He said motorists were often unwilling to give evidence against the beggars in court.

Mr Smith said the council was considering buying machines which printed registration numbers on tickets, and employing security staff.

He said: "We are working jointly with the police to try to prevent this happening in the first place, and to take more permanent steps against the perpetrators." A police spokesman said: "This is a problem that is carried out by a very small minority of people. We have arrested and charged people in connection with aggressive begging and put them before the courts. The solution is for us to work with the council to have security on site to move these people on straightaway."

City councillor Barbara Burgess said she would be taking the issue up with the council.

She said: "There is fraud being committed every day and the general public are being put under duress. These new machines sound like a good idea." The woman who watched the beggars at work, Ilse Temple, 62, of Bristol, said police moved in twice to move the two men, but both quickly returned.

She said: "It is outrageous police have to do this rather than protect the community from criminals. Do the taxpayers of Oxford know their coffers are being emptied by such people? It must mount up to thousands of pounds."