Drivers in Warwick, Leamington, Whitnash and the villages are set to get new rights to challenge unfair private parking charges, alongside a crackdown on car dealers winding back mileage.

Under the changes, drivers will get a guaranteed five minutes to decide whether to park and ten minutes once their session ends to leave without facing a penalty, and cancellation of charges for issues drivers can't control, like vehicle breakdown in car parks.

Under the new Private Parking Code of Practice laid in Parliament earlier this month, charges will be scrapped on appeal for honest mistakes, like stopping briefly to check directions, and for situations like a medical emergency, breakdown or broken ticket machine.

For smaller slip-ups, like forgetting a parking permit, entering the wrong vehicle's registration or forgetting to confirm it in the machine when parking, drivers will face a maximum charge of £20 on appeal.

The Code also freezes the maximum parking charge at £100. Operators who don't comply risk losing access to DVLA data, meaning that even if they issue a charge, it will be far more difficult to identify the registered owner to pursue payment.

Matt Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington, welcomed the changes, commenting: "These changes to the Private Parking Code of Practice are very welcome ones which will make parking that bit easier and fairer.

"I know from a number of pieces of casework, the real difficulties some constituents have had trying to get unfair fines overturned, for genuine mistakes.

"These changes will end those rip-offs and consumers being left out of pocket for simple mistakes."

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In addition, unscrupulous second-hand car dealers who wind back odometers to disguise a vehicle's true mileage will also face tougher action. Known as car clocking, fraudulently selling a clocked car is already illegal, but adding it to the official list of banned practices will make it easier for enforcers to crack down, protecting buyers and backing honest businesses.