A MAJOR row has broken out over allegations that traffic wardens are being over zealous in Cinderford.

Town councillor Graham Morgan asked the district to try to stop the wardens, who dish out nearly 10 times more tickets in Cinderford than Newent, coming down hard on local drivers.

But council chiefs said the wardens were just doing their job and local councillors should look at the number of restrictions in the town.

The Forester recently revealed that civil wardens had issued 505 tickets in Cinderford last year, compared to 58 in Newent.

Coun Morgan called for officials to investigate the possibility of a more "sympathetic" regime in line with other rural districts within Gloucestershire.

But the ruling cabinet disagreed and the resulting row sparked an hour-long debate at an extraordinary meeting of the full council.

Coun Morgan (Lab, Cinderford) said he had been approached by shopkeepers who claimed the traffic wardens employed by Gloucester City Council were killing trade by as much as 50 per cent.

He claimed traffic wardens started issuing tickets on residential streets like Woodville Road from 8am, which made it appear as if they were more interested in raising revenue than keeping the traffic moving.

He said: "I am in favour of civil enforcement as a concept, but city style enforcement in a small rural market town is causing businesses to suffer in a big way.

"Our parking regime is clobbering people when there are not enough parking facilities available."

Members of the cabinet said they could not ask the wardens to treat drivers leniently because restrictions had been placed in the town centres to stop them getting clogged up.

"If the yellow lines are there and people park on them, we will book them," said cabinet member for efficient council Brian Robinson. "That is what we are required to do."

But local councillors, including Mayor Max Coburn, said the town council had already come up with ideas to improve the situation but needed help.

"We are just looking for a more sympathetic regime," said Coun Di Martin (Lab, Cinderford). "I have seen people pull in, stop and get a ticket within a few minutes, which is over zealous."

Coun Morgan lost his call for an investigation into the regime.