Bradford’s motorists are being warned a blitz on parking will be sweeping across the district in six weeks’ time.

Drivers who park illegally face fines of up to £70 as dozens of officers employed by Bradford Council take on the job of traffic wardens.

From Thursday, March 26, civil enforcement officers in distinctive blue uniforms will be in charge of patrolling the streets and making sure motorists abide by the rules.

The officers have been trained in areas such as law and how to deal with irate motorists. They will be working in six teams across the district, with the city centre having the largest group.

The changes mean a substantial increase in the number of “traffic wardens” working in the district. And until the actual handover from the police in March, Bradford’s new civil enforcement officers will be out and about issuing warning tickets to those who flout the parking laws.

Paul Ratcliffe, the Council’s parking services manager, told the Telegraph & Argus: “The warning notices are there to let people know what is happening. We don’t want to go out on March 26 and issue tickets left right and centre. But if people continue to ignore the parking restrictions they risk getting a ticket.

“Every single waiting restriction in the district has been put there for a reason – whether it be safety or the vitality of the area.”

He said officers would be given no targets, bonuses or incentives and they would deal with any appeals due to mitigating circumstances in a fair and consistent manner.

The Council will be responsible for enforcing parking restrictions, including double yellow lines, some school zigzags, pay-and-display parking, disabled car parking spaces and limited waiting areas.

Eventually there will be 46 officers, with 12 working in the city centre, eight each in Shipley and Keighley, and six each in Bradford North, South and West. They will be able to impose fines of £70 or £50 depending on the seriousness of the offence. This charge can drop by half if paid within 14 days. A number of office staff have also been taken on to deal with the paperwork and any appeals.

The parking takeover has been put back a number of times to allow the Council to ensure that all traffic regulations in the district are properly marked.

All the double yellow lines and other markings were checked and re-painted where necessary.

The date of March 26 has now been confirmed by the Department for Transport.