Motorists in Milton Keynes have paid out an incredible £16 million in parking fines and charges in the past year, according to government figures published in the national press.

This would equate to a whopping £72 - the equivalent of two or three parking tickets for every man, woman and child in the city.

But Milton Keynes Council insists the newly released figures, published in Sunday's News of the World, are wrong.

They should be half the amount - £8 million - said cabinet member for transport Alan Mallyon this week.

"The £16 million does not seem right. There must be a misunderstanding," he told the Citizen.

The News of the World placed Milton Keynes fifth in the top ten table of local authorities collecting the most cash from drivers nationally.

It claimed the city generates £2 million more than the whole of Liverpool, £1 million more than Newcastle upon Tyne and £4 million less than Manchester.

This week the Taxpayers' Alliance accused all the councils on the top ten list of treating motorists like "cash cows", plugging holes in council budgets to compensate for the squeeze on public spending.

Mr Mallyon says the council collects £850,000 a year in parking fines and just over £7 million from parking.

Much of this is generated from machines at the shopping centre, which charge £1.20 an hour to park in prime position spaces.

From all the money collected, the council ploughs back £3.5 million into public transport.

"The rest is used to finance the actual parking schemes and machines," said Mr Mallyon.