Parking attendants are set to be able to fine motorists who are violent and abusive, or who drive off before receiving a parking ticket.

Colchester Council attendants will become civil enforcement officers from March 31, and will be able to issue varying penalty notices for more or less serious offences under new powers taken from the Traffic Management Act 2004.

More serious contraventions such as parking on a yellow line will warrant a £70 fine, while drivers who overstay in a car park will get a £50 penalty notice.

Currently, all parking tickets come with a £60 fine.

Officers will also be able to issue notices through the post, if it cannot be issued in person as a result of violent or abusive behaviour or if the motorist has driven off.

They will be able to issue penalty notices using evidence from "approved devices" such as fixed cameras and mobile cameras, which will be mounted to vehicles.

Councillor Nick Taylor, portfolio holder for resources, said: "We hope that these new rules will be seen by the motoring public as a fairer approach to parking enforcement."

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