A crackdown on illegal car parking in Lincolnshire has been delayed for at least 12 months after council bosses failed to reach an agreement.

The chief executives from Lincolnshire's eight councils held talks in an attempt to agree a £1.4 million deal to take control of parking enforcement from Lincolnshire Police.

This would have seen cash spent on more traffic wardens on patrol, an increase in residents' parking schemes, new uniforms, extra training and improved equipment.

All eight authorities had to be on board with the proposal before an application could be submitted to the Government.

But the earliest start date for any power transfer has now been set at Autumn 2011 after the councils were unable to agree terms.

Lincolnshire County Council divisional highways manager Brian Thompson said: "The steering group which was set up to implement Civil Parking Enforcement, consisting of Lincolnshire County Council and all District Councils, has been disbanded.

"We are now looking at alternative ways of implementing this and intend to approach the district councils to look at how joint working may bring efficiencies. The likely start date is now autumn 2011."

In recent years, the Home Office has encouraged police forces nationwide to treat the task of issuing tickets as a low priority.

Lincolnshire Police has previously said it no longer wants to be responsible for the task.

Lincolnshire spokesman for Association of British Drivers Keith Peat said police in the county were unable to tackle the problem properly due a lack of funding.

"Parking has always been a thorny subject - it's a problem in any city or town," said Mr Peat.

"It's parking anarchy at the moment. You can understand why as the police resources are just too stretched already."

Mr Peat said if the councils were good at ticketing illegal car parking but the fine prices were too high, it could lead to a situation where teams of traffic wardens were employed but had nothing to do.

He said this could leave councils wasting cash.

"I think the councils can run the system profitably," said Mr Peat.

"But if they are too effective then who pays for the system? That is why we have to have a realistic set of fines. People will probably keep it ticking over if they think the fines are quite reasonably priced. If you are too good at clamping down on illegal parking and the fines too extortionate you are left with a problem."