THEY do the job that everyone loves to hate, but it seems that Skipton can't get enough of them!

Inconsiderate parking around Skipton town centre has prompted a call for more traffic wardens.

In particular, traders on Coach Street are fed up with cars and wagons pulling up and parking half on the road and half on the pavements preventing other vehicles and pedestrians getting past.

Joan Evans, of Oswaldtwistle Mills, said Coach Street was a one-way road with no parking between 9am and 6pm - unless the drivers were disabled or loading.

She said there were keep clear signs, no parking signs and single yellow lines, but motorists did not appear to be heeding the warnings.

The frontage at the Whisper Tree has been damaged by wagons parking too close to it, claimed Mrs Evans.

A meeting with traders, traffic police and the county highways had not made much difference either.

Mrs Evans said the police had promised to try to get more officers walking along there and to ensure the traffic warden visited frequently.

However she added that nothing seemed to have happened.

She said one vehicle parked for any length of time on Coach Street could cause a tailback all the way to Swadford Street.

Traders were not prepared to tackle the drivers in person for fear of abuse.

Mrs Evans also pointed out that some people still did not realise it was one way and cars travelling in the wrong direction caused chaos.

"Even though this is a one way street, you can't cross this street without looking both ways," she said.

Bob Wright and David Goldie from Skipton Chamber of Trade are due to meet with Inspector Tad Nowakowski about the lack of traffic warden cover throughout the town today (Friday.)

At the moment one part time (18.5 hours a week) traffic warden is expected to cover the whole of the town.

The chamber is seeking to discover whether funds are available to increase the current warden's hours or to employ another.

Mr Wright said motorists frequently flouted the laws and thought they could leave their cars all over the town.

He hoped an increase in the number of fines handed out could put a stop to this.

o Parked cars are also causing problems for refuse collectors in the town.

Cars blocking narrow streets and alleyways are preventing the collection wagons from getting through to empty the wheelie bins.

District and county councillor Mike Doyle said that bins put out at the back of Bright Street were not emptied one week because one car, which had been left for several days, was blocking the entrance.

Even Craven District Council's smaller collection wagon could not get through.

Coun Doyle said residents were quick to blame the council but this time it was not its fault. He said the bin men had been back to Bright Street several times without success.

Streets on Middletown and Primrose Hill have been cited as the main problem areas for the bin men.

Coun Doyle said the problem seemed to get worse during the summer when people took their holidays and cars were left outside their homes all day.