CAR parks across Worcester have been placed 'under review' - prompting concern they face being marketed to developers in a desperate bid to raise cash.

Worcester City Council has admitted that it wants to "reduce the number of car parks" from its current figure of 14 to bring in money.

A new briefing paper on the move says bosses will aim to "promote development opportunities" by marketing the most sellable sites.

The surprise tactic comes at a time when the Labour leadership is facing severe pressure to raise money, with around £2.2 million of savings required by 2019 under what bosses call a 'transformation plan' - and more in the following years.

It has been criticised as "crazy" by the opposition Conservative group, although the council's Labour leader insists they will not be gung-ho.

Councillor Marc Bayliss, Conservative group leader, said: "This is crazy, it's madness - but Labour has 'form' on car parks.

"They've got it into their heads that they can sell off car parks and people will drive to other ones instead.

"You'd have people driving around looking for other car parks, increasing congestion, and you'd have more drivers looking in residential streets.

"Our car parking is real revenue maker for the council, it's economic illiteracy, the sacrificing of the sacred cow, a get-rich-quick scheme."

But Councillor Adrian Gregson, the leader, said: "The review is primarily about where are our car parks, have we got enough spaces, have we got too many, are they in the right place - that's why it's called a 'review'.

"There is the question of automatic number plate recognition or having pay-on-exit systems too, so all that needs to be looked at in the round - that's what the review is looking at, it's about the whole issue."

The council has 2,438 parking spaces across the city spread across prime pieces of land such as St Martin's Gate, Croft Road and the Cornmarket.

The briefing note says the council wants to "carry out a feasibility study to reduce the number of car parks but retain the number of spaces", meaning some retained sites could be expanded to accommodate more vehicles if any are sold.

As well as "redevelopment opportunities" it also cites other possible land uses as valeting, 'click and collect' for retailers, storage and "transport services", all of which could bring in long-term income.

But some sales could bring in a seven-figure sum, at a time when services are under serious pressure.