Residents and traders today displayed mixed reactions to plans to employ parking attendants to do the job of traffic wardens in Worthing.

The town will be the first in West Sussex to launch the parking attendant scheme which will put responsibility for parking control under council control.

The town will lead the way when parking offences are de-criminalised, with a target date set for April 2003.

Worthing Borough Council will take over enforcement from Sussex Police and keep the income from penalty notices.

But it is not yet known if the council will run the service itself or hire a private company.

The controversial system has already been introduced in Brighton and Hove and a report published today says that any surplus money from the scheme will be used to boost parking and transport facilities in the borough.

Some traders fear the scheme could make their working lives difficult and are concerned it could damage their businesses.

Roy Arber, who runs PS Cosmetics in Liverpool Road in Worthing town centre, said: "I would be totally against such plans.

"There is a not a hope in hell it would work here. I have seen how the parking attendants operate in Brighton - their attitude is no different from the general German storm trooper. They have absolutely no consideration for drivers.

"At least the police have a good understanding of the law. They have a bit of give and take."

He said he had to park his delivery van outside the shop and was worried parking attendants would interfere with this.

Mr Arber said: "The parking attendants' job is very different to that of a warden. Their wages are paid by the fines so it is in their interest to issue tickets."

However, others argue that the town's parking problems have reached crisis point and said the new scheme will help ease congestion.

Keith Jeffery, manager of Julian Graves, in South Street, Worthing, said: "Something needs to be done about the parking here.

"It is horrendous in the town centre, especially at Christmas."

Brian Lynn, leader of Worthing Borough Council, said: "There would be many advantages to the system such as it funding parking improvements.

"However, the plan is in the early stages at the moment."