Parking attendants are reporting a terrifying rise in abuse and violent attacks.

Dozens have been punched, battered or knocked unconscious during vicious outbursts by angry motorists.

Others are subjected to daily threats, taunts or jibes by aggressive members of the public.

The alarming rise in attacks on parking attendants in Brighton and Hove during the past ten months has been revealed in figures released to The Argus.

Almost every attendant working in the city has been subjected to some kind of physical or verbal attack.

The figures come from reports by parking attendants who complain of being punched or racially harassed.

Some have been covered in food or even had urine thrown at them from moving cars.

Since June last year, the number of serious assaults has risen from one a month to an average of seven a month.

A total of 77 more serious "code red" attacks have been reported by attendants out of 260 incidents overall.

Attacks are classified as code red when an attendant suffers physical abuse, including being pushed, spat at or hit.

Attendants can push a red button on their radios to call for police help when they are involved in a code red attack.

The majority of the attacks have happened since January, normally a quiet period.

Seven serious assaults had been recorded in the first two weeks of this month, including two attendants who were punched and one grabbed round the neck.

The number of "code yellow" incidents, usually verbal abuse, also rose from 13 in June to a peak of 23 in October.

Code yellow incidents include verbal abuse or aggressive and threatening behaviour.

One attendant recorded 12 incidents, including five code yellows, in one month and one code red.

In some cities across Britain, the threat of violence has become so bad, staff have been issued with body armour.

More than 30 police forces use bullet and stab-proof vests to protect wardens from angry drivers.

Tim Cowen, of National Car Parks (NCP), which regulates parking in the city for Brighton and Hove City Council, said there was a worrying trend in which his staff were now facing increasingly violent attacks.

He said: "There has been a great rise. It is probably about 50 per cent up on last year.

"The thing that concerns us particularly is the rise in code reds. In June there would have been a code yellow every couple of days. Now there is an incident almost every day and about 50 per cent are code reds.

"It might just be a blip and we really hope it goes down over time. No one should have to put up with this kind of abuse."

NCP offers a counselling service to staff who are also given conflict management training during a one-week course.

The company is considering handing out "spit kits" to Brighton and Hove's 55 parking attendants in a bid to deter attacks.

Mr Cowen said: "We are testing it in some areas of the country and if it proves successful we would introduce it in Brighton and Hove.

"You get a swab of saliva and send it to a laboratory for a DNA test. If the results shows someone the police have details of, then we try to trace them.

"The kits are already used successfully by London transport and other organisations.

"We are also working on our conflict resolution training but, with the best will in the world, there is nothing you can do if some lunatic comes up and punches you in the face."

He said an increasing number of the assaults were unprovoked.

Tracing attackers was becoming increasing difficult, he said.

Mr Cowen said NCP had no idea why these attacks were happening as there was no pattern of location or time of day.

He said: "It is a controversial service. Very few people are going to thank you for giving them a parking ticket. We want to take the heat out of these situations."

A spokeswoman for the British Parking Association (BPA) said: "There is no excuse for verbally or physically attacking a public servant. It is the BPA's aim that the parking attendant is seen as somebody who is supporting society and keeping the streets clear for the benefit of all."