Traffic warden feels 'let down' after attack

The warden, who does not want to be named, said he was attacked by a "large" man after he placed a ticket on a white van

A parking warden said he felt "let down" by the police response after he was knocked to the ground during a scuffle with a member of the public.

The warden, who does not want to be named, had just placed a penalty charge notice (PCN) on a van parked on double yellow lines in Victory Road, Coventry.

Despite an emergency call, he said police did not attend and "the person was never arrested or spoken to".

West Midlands Police said officers had reopened an investigation into what happened.

A clip of the attack, which took place during a routine patrol by two wardens on 23 June last year, can be seen in a video shared on the council's YouTube channel.

The warden described how a "large" male ran across the road towards him.

"He was throwing his fists and he was making it clear that he wanted to assault me," he said.

During a scuffle, the victim said he "lost his balance" and went to the ground.

"He was bigger than myself; he wasn't listening to anything we said," he said.

The warden described four other individuals joining the group and an altercation continuing for several minutes.

Unable to access their vehicle because of where it was parked, both wardens pressed panic buttons linking to a council control room and the officer being targeted also called police.

The parking warden said his experience of violence had left him "wary" when doing his job

He said he felt "disappointed" and "disheartened" police did not come to his assistance.

"I've just been assaulted doing my job... and it was only after another one of our cars turned up that we managed to get out of the area," he said.

"I did have slight grazes and a couple of little cuts but it could have been a lot worse.

"Whilst it was going on I did think today I could have quite easily been put in the hospital by the person."

In the days that followed, the victim visited police to file a report, but said he was never contacted for a statement and was later told the case was "out of time".

"I felt disappointed to be honest," he said. "We had body footage on our bodycams; we knew where the person lived; we had the details of the person's vehicle.

"The person was never arrested or spoken to about it."

'Further inquiries'

When contacted by the BBC, West Midlands Police said officers had reopened their investigation into the incident.

"We received a report of a council worker being assaulted in Coventry on 23 June last year," a spokesman said. "Officers investigated, but unfortunately the investigation did not identify a suspect.

"This was communicated to the victim, who agreed it was the best available option.

"As a result of new information given to us, we are now carrying out further inquiries."

Coventry City Council said reports of violence and aggression towards front-line staff had doubled over the past four years, from 66 in 2020-21 to 129 in 2023-24.

The warden said his experiences had left him "more alert" in some parts of the city.

"It has left me feeling a bit more wary towards how people react," he said.

He said he previously reported other aggressive incidents to police, but no action was taken.

"I don't have a lot of faith in [police] helping us," he said. "I do feel more and more let down by the people who can actually make a difference."

In a separate incident, police on Thursday arrested a 29-year-old woman in connection with an assault on a parking warden outside a Coventry school on 13 September.

The woman remains in police custody.