THE rise in the number of physical attacks on traffic wardens in the district is a concerning trend.

Many people will have experienced the heart-sinking feeling of returning to their vehicle to find a penalty charge ticket slapped on the windscreen.

The vast majority of right-thinking motorists let out a groan, pay up and learn their lesson or, if they feel they have been especially hard-done-to, submit a formal appeal to the Council through the proper process.

However, figures appear to show that a rising number of people are resorting to violence against traffic wardens, who are reporting an increase in assaults.

Clearly, such a violent response to receiving a ticket is moronic, disproportionate, idiotic and utterly unacceptable.

There’s no getting away from the fact that the job of traffic warden may not be looked upon too fondly by a proportion of the public, but too many people seem to forget that wardens are people who are simply trying to do their jobs in an effort to put food on the table and pay the bills.

As is the case with many other workers, traffic wardens should not have to go to work with the threat of violence hanging over them.

Ultimately, they only take action against people who have committed parking offences, so people need to take responsibility for their own behaviour. It’s encouraging to hear that the Council takes all such assaults very seriously. The offenders need to be tracked down and punished to send out a message that such attacks will not be tolerated.