A NEWLY installed police inspector is on a mission to get traffic wardens reinstated in his patch.Some market towns have been rife with parking problems ever since the role of traffic wardens was scrapped in east Suffolk and taken over by community support officers employed by Suffolk police.
A NEWLY installed police inspector is on a mission to get traffic wardens reinstated in his patch.
Some market towns have been rife with parking problems ever since the role of traffic wardens was scrapped in east Suffolk and taken over by community support officers employed by Suffolk police.
The East Anglian Daily Times revealed how in a six month period from April to September there were just 15 parking tickets issued in Aldeburgh, while there were only 14 in Leiston, 12 in Framlingham and 11 in Saxmundham.
And there were reports from town councillors that people had been parking where they liked, including no waiting areas, and that people would park in limited time spaces all day.
But now, Inspector Chris Lucas, who recently joined the Leiston sector after a long career with the Metropolitan Police, has pledged to bring back wardens.
He told a meeting of Leiston Town Council: “I'm looking to bring back council officers in the town because if community support officers start issuing tickets, they could become so swamped doing that, that there are going to be distracted dealing with crime.
“Ipswich has council wardens and that's what I would really like and I think it's the way we need to go.”
He said there would not necessarily need to be one for each of the four towns in his sector, which includes Leiston, Aldeburgh, Saxmundham and Framlingham.
“Just one or two to cover the four towns would be enough I would suggest,” he said. “The revenue they would get from it would pay for it.”
The proposal was backed by town councillors.
Ann Nunn, chairman of Leiston Town Council, said: “We would welcome the return of traffic wardens as it would be good for all of the towns.”
She said she knew Aldeburgh badly needed traffic wardens and that Leiston got very congested outside the chemist on the main road where people just parked to pop into the shop.
Suffolk Coastal District Council was contacted about the issue but no-one was available to comment.
kate.scotter@eadt.co.uk
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