Amsterdam traffic wardens are to begin clamping tourists’ cars if their owners have been previously caught parking without a ticket.

Only 2% of the 60,000 fines levied on foreign cars are currently paid and that is costing the city council €2m a year, broadcaster Nos reports on Friday.

Some countries, such as France, Belgium and Britain, have not agreed to exchange information about car ownership with the Netherlands, making it impossible to track down unpaid fines, Nos says.

The council suspects some tourists are well aware of this and take advantage of the situation by deliberately flouting traffic rules.

Currently, cars from countries without a treaty are only clamped after five fines have been left unpaid. But from mid-July, clamps will be used for a second offence.

It costs €300 to have a clamp removed plus the unpaid fines.