A PARKING warden has spoken out about the verbal abuse he and colleagues receive on a regular basis.

Andrea Poma said he has been berated many times simply for doing his job – and he has only been working in Brighton for six months.

The 44-year-old moved to the city from Sicily and the job as a parking warden is his first in the UK.

He said while he loves the city, he has been disappointed by the behaviour of some motorists.

He said: “Every day going to work is a concern.

“My family and I immediately felt welcomed by the community, the city is wonderful with us Italians.

“Unfortunately crimes are committed by people who have no respect, even for themselves.

“We have to walk six to ten miles every day and we are treated like criminals by motorists who have no respect for anyone.”

Last week footage on The Argus website showed Andrea being called a b****** by a woman in Manchester Street, Brighton.

>> Woman's row with warden outside Latest Music Bar in Brighton

He had just issued her BMW with a parking ticket because it was on double yellow lines outside the Latest Music Bar.

When the driver returned she launched into an angry rant at him.

In the video she is heard saying to Andrea: “I have a problem with you. You’ve just cost me £70.

“What a b******.

“What’s wrong with them [parking inspectors].”

One of her colleagues from the Latest Music Bar then comes out and starts asking for the warden’s details.

He holds his phone towards the warden’s face and calls him “rude” and “offensive” and says his attitude is a “disgrace”.

Andrea said: “The next day I arrived at the office and my supervisor asked me to report on the incident.

“Our training includes a course for the management of situations like this, motorists try by any means to make us go wrong.

“But in the last month I have had to report incidents to the police, not this one but others in which I have been heavily insulted.”

Brighton and Hove City Council said: “Our staff and our contractors’ staff have the right to go about their legitimate duties without abuse or harassment.

“Decisions about action against alleged unacceptable behaviour toward a parking attendant in the city would be a matter for our contractor in the first instance.”