SHOP owners claim traffic wardens in Coleford are driving business out of the town.

Claire Weston-Ball from Westons Flowers in St John Street estimates the parking wardens have lost her shop up to £25,000 in trade.

"People are avoiding Coleford because of the wardens," said Claire, who has had three tickets so far while trying to load her car with flowers.

"We need to be bringing people back into the towns, not driving them away.

"One problem is the traffic wardens are not consistent; you either don't see them for weeks or they are here every day."

Tina James, part-owner of Fairways Furnishing in the Market Square, said lorries delivering to her shop have been an ongoing target for the wardens.

"People park illegally in the loading bays so when the lorries come with deliveries they have to park in the road," she said.

"Rather than put tickets on the cars in the loading bay, they target the delivery lorries instead.

"I have seen at least three of the lorries delivering to us get tickets.

"On one occasion the driver returned to his vehicles within 30 seconds and a warden had already taken a photograph and slapped a ticket on his vehicle."

Don Burgess, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said the situation was disrupting trade quite badly.

"We are appalled at the council's attitude that there is no problem," said Don.

"They argued that the introduction of Civil Enforcement Officers would be cost neutral, but these officers are trying to make as much money as they can from motorists in the town and this is driving off business.

"The council are trying to come up with ideas on how to boost trade in Coleford and they just shrug their shoulders when we tell them this situation is part of the problem.

"This is exactly the sort of behaviour that drives people out of small towns to shop at larger supermarkets.

"Both from a resident's and a businesses's point of view we've had a guts-full."