The first new parking machines giving people 20 minutes' free parking have been installed.

The machines are now up and running in Rayners Lane and others will be installed in shopping streets across the borough over the coming months.

The new policy was announced in February by Harrow Borough Council’s Conservative administration as part of the group’s budget.

The scheme involves the upgrading of Harrow’s on-street ticket machines to include a keypad for motorists to enter their car registration number, which the council hopes will prevent the scheme being abused.

Drivers will also only be able to get free 20-minutes' parking once a day.

A similar scheme had originally been piloted by the Independent Labour group in the summer of last year.

However it was then scrapped by the incoming Conservative group after it found it would cost the authority too much and was being abused by motorists.