It is fair to say that parking wardens are not the most popular of public servants.

That is hardly surprising considering that the only time we seem to notice them is when they are slapping tickets on our illegally parked vehicles.

And most drivers in such situations believe, rightly or wrongly, that they have a perfectly good reason for parking where they did and that an exception should be made in their case - a plea that usually falls on deaf ears.

But it should be remembered that wardens carry out an important task - keeping roads congestion free, ensuring vehicles are not parked dangerously and making sure customers and delivery vehicles can get access to businesses.

If they do so sensibly and sensitively then motorists may grumble but can have few real concerns. So is that the case?

News that nearly 200 tickets a day are being handed out across the district may lead some people to suggest they are being over zealous.

Others may conclude that Bradford’s hardcore of bad drivers are getting their just deserts at last.

However, as Council wardens have only been responsible for parking since March, when they took over the duty from police officers, the truth is that it is probably too early to say for sure.

But if it is the genuinely deserving who are receiving the tickets, it is not unreasonable to expect the number issued to eventually fall as drivers begin to realise they will not get away with flouting the rules.

It will be interesting to see if this is what actually happens.