TRAFFIC wardens are being fitted with cameras to catch those who give them a torrent of abuse while they are issuing parking tickets.

West Sussex County Council has forked out £6,900 on 15 body cams for officers in Mid Sussex to protect them while out on patrol.

The move could also aid council investigations into parking ticket queries and appeals.

The parking team monitors Mid Sussex District Council-owned car parks and enforces on-street parking restrictions such as double-yellow lines, limited waiting and disabled parking bays for the county council.

But in the last 14 months wardens were verbally and physically abused 25 times – which the district council said caused “considerable” distress to staff and witnesses.

All have been reported to Sussex Police but the district council were unable to confirm if any offenders had been convicted.

The cameras will only be activated when officers issue penalty charge notices or are subject to abuse.

People will be told when they are being filmed and will be able to see the recording taking place.

It is hoped their presence will act as a deterrent and the footage can be handed to the police as evidence to convict offenders.

The data will be encrypted, stored securely and only used in accordance with the Data Protection Act and the Information Commissioner’s Office CCTV Code of Practice, the council said.

Councillor Gary Marsh, cabinet member for economic development and property, said: “Our civil enforcement officers do an important job – they have a right to go about their work without fear of abuse or threats of violence.

“They are all trained in conflict management and they know how to defuse a heated situation.

“However, it can be very difficult to reason with some people.

“I hope these cameras make a difference to the behaviour of the small minority of motorists who try to intimidate, threaten and, in some cases, attack our officers and make them think twice before they do something they might regret.

“If they don’t, Sussex Police will be presented with the video evidence and we will take action to ensure offenders are prosecuted.”