TRAFFIC wardens are poised to again patrol the streets of Hyndburn after being away for more than a year.

Next week a team of eagle-eyed wardens will be on the lookout for cars parked illegally across the borough.

Welcoming the news, council leader Peter Britcliffe said: "I believe that parking restrictions should be as limited as possible and shouldn't be used to bash motorists.

"But it is important that where there are parking restrictions they are observed because they're there for a reason. This will mean people will have to obey the law and I am pleased that the scheme is designed to make the roads safer."

Insteads of being controlled by the police as before, under the new Parkwise scheme they will be supervised by county and local councils and provided by parking firm NCP (National Car Parks).

David Law, principal traffic engineer at Hyndburn Council, said the borough will be patrolled by just three wardens.

He said: "The system won't stay the same from day one because it is designed to be flexible. It will be monitored and we will be able to reduce or increase the number of attendants as is necessary.

"They will be mobile and able to react fairly quickly to trouble spots, such as major roads in and out of our towns. Their work should help retail businesses as well because there is a problem with drivers leaving their cars in short-stay bays for far longer than permitted, and that can hinder trade."

A spokeman for Lancashire County Council, which will pay the scheme's start-up costs, said Parkwise was a self-funding scheme and wardens would not be clamping down unfairly.

He said: "The tickets given out will generate money to pay for the scheme. We want to stress that good, responsible drivers won't notice any change whatsoever, and no new no-parking zones have been created.

"Traffic can hopefully flow more freely and public transport will be able to keep to timetable.

"Inconsiderate drivers block roads and park dangerously and Parkwise is aimed at those people.

"We will be patrolling generally but particularly targeting residential areas, shopping areas, busy routes and bus stops."