A bylaw making it illegal to sleep in a vehicle overnight in five North Berwick car parks has been approved by East Lothian Council's cabinet.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the cabinet agreed to ratify the bylaw, which applies to the car parks at Gardiner's Garden in the town centre, Dunbar Road at the Recreation Grounds, and The Haugh Road, Tantallon Terrace and Marine Parade.

The bylaw was suggested by North Berwick Community Council following frequent problems with campervans and caravans spending the night in the car parks. Dealing with the problem was previously a lengthy and ineffective process.

The new bylaw will mean that anyone found in their vehicle in these car parks between 11pm and 6am will be assumed to be using it for overnight camping unless they can prove otherwise. Those violating the bylaw face a fine of up to �500.

At the cabinet meeting, Keith MacConnachie, the council's head of law and licensing, explained that a late amendment had been made to the bylaw after it had been brought up that HGVs used the Dunbar Road car park for overnight parking and the drivers sometimes spent the night in their vehicles.

Rather than removing that car park from the bylaw, Mr MacConnachie said heavy commercial vehicles - those with an operating weight exceeding 7.5 tons - would be exempt from the bylaw.

The bylaw had also been amended to allow overnight camping in the Dunbar Road car park when shows were taking place at the Recreation Grounds.

Councillor Neil Rankin, North Berwick Coastal ward member, said that the bylaw application had been "a long time in coming" and that the community council was "most grateful" that it was finally coming into force.