Traffic wardens driven into and filmed

On three occasions, drivers “drove into” traffic wardens, in one case repeatedly, the council said

Traffic wardens in Herefordshire were driven at by motorists as well as being subjected to threats of violence.

Wardens were subjected to 11 physical assaults and 21 verbal assaults over a 12-month period – almost double the amount for the previous year.

Incidents recorded over the last financial year until April included four instances of drivers driving their vehicles at wardens, with one accelerating towards an officer, stopping shortly before impact ,after they had been issued with a parking ticket.

The details have been released by the council in response to a freedom of information request.

One driver “attempted to grab” a traffic warden while issuing a parking ticket, while another was “assaulted while talking to another member of the public”.

In the previous financial year, six physical and 11 verbal assaults were recorded on the county’s traffic wardens.

Officially known as civil enforcement officers or CEOs, the county’s traffic wardens are directly employed by Herefordshire Council to enforce on- and off-street parking restrictions including in the 39 car parks it operates.

In the same year wardens issued 21,995 PCNs, of which 4,892 were challenged leading to 2,129 being cancelled.

Those which were paid raised nearly £666,000 from the county – a third as much again as it made from pay-and-display tickets and parking permits combined.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.