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Drop in assaults on Perthshire parking wardens

Mean streets - one warden was "bumped" by a moving car.
Mean streets - one warden was "bumped" by a moving car.

PERTHSHIRE PARKING attendants have been driven at, sworn at and even pushed to the ground as the public reacts furiously to being ticketed.

But the toll of violence against the wardens has reduced dramatically in the past year.

There were 23 assaults by members of the public across Perth and Kinross in the past 12 months, far fewer than the 70 incidents in 2011.

The majority were verbal abuse, with four physical assaults.

The figures were obtained from a Freedom of Information request by The Courier and were hailed as a success by the local authority.

The most shocking incidents saw one attendant “bumped” by a moving car, while another was driven at but not hit.

Another incident saw an attendant pushed so hard they fell to the ground. Another was pushed.

In previous years, parking attendants have been struck by cars, threatened with weapons and had threats made to their families by raging motorists.

Perth and Kinross Council took over parking enforcement duties from Tayside Police in 2002.

Attendants now wear CCTV equipment on their uniforms with the recordings admissible in court proceedings in a bid to cut the violent crime count.

They also carry personal radios, allowing them instant contact with colleagues and police if they get into difficulty.

A spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council said: “We would welcome this reduction in incidents of violent or aggressive behaviour towards our parking attendants while at work.

“They play an important role in helping to ensure traffic flows freely and our roads are safe for drivers and pedestrians alike and we consider a zero-tolerance approach to verbal or physical abuse to be vital.

“The safety of our staff is of paramount importance to the council and the attendants are equipped with camera recording equipment and radios to record any incidents and request assistance from colleagues or the police if required.

“We hope the reduction in incidents may reflect a greater understanding of the role parking attendants have and we will continue to work with our staff, the public and the media with the aim of achieving zero incidents in the future.”

arichardson@thecourier.co.uk