A frustrated businessman wants to install cameras in his car park to stop rogue drivers hogging his customers’ spaces.

Hardik Jani, of The Swingate Inn hotel and restaurant, near Dover, says some people have left their vehicles on his premises for as long as four days.

He claims the issue has become so bad there are sometimes not enough spaces for customers hoping to visit his business.

Now he wants Dover District Council (DDC) to allow the installation of automatic number-plate recognition (ANPR) cameras to weed out those who shouldn’t be there.

“I have had a lot of nuisance parking and that causes problems for my customers,” said Mr Jani, the business leaseholder.

“People just leave their cars and walk off. A few times I don’t have any space for customers.

“One Mini was left there for four days and a Jaguar for two.”

“Sometimes two cars are driven in, one is left behind and the people will all take off in the other vehicle. Vans are also left there overnight at times.”

Mr Jani, who has run the site since May, says the camera equipment will act as a form of security for his customers as he does not know why the vehicles are there.

His 10-room hotel, which also features the Chef De Mumbai Indian restaurant, sits on the busy A258 Deal Road.

It is close to the key Duke of York roundabout for Dover Eastern Docks and the town centre. It is otherwise remote with few other properties or facilities nearby.

The application for the 50-space car park is being made on Mr Jani's behalf by Parkingeye Ltd, a specialist management company that can issue penalties to drivers.

If the cameras are allowed and the system goes ahead non-customers would still be allowed to use the car park if they pay online. Exact charges for this are to be confirmed.

Customers, who give their registration details to the venue, would continue to be exempt from fees.

The site sits within the boundary of St Margaret’s-at-Cliffe Parish Council.

It is the only group or individual that has commented on the application on the DDC planning portal, but it has raised no objection.

A decision on the scheme will be made by planning officers at DDC.