The honeymoon is over for illegally parked cars in Basildon, the district's new warden "flying squad" warned today.

The team is compiling a list of unlawful parking hotspots just a week after taking over responsibility for parking from police.

After the launch on April 1, the inspectors took pity on April Fools by only issuing warning notices for the first two days despite warning of a parking crackdown.

Since then, the hi-tech inspectors - kitted out with vans, radios, phones and hand-held computers - have issued about 50 tickets.

But motorists are warned that the council is still in a "preparation phase" and will soon target identified areas.

A spokesman for Basildon Council said the council was able to deploy a parking inspector within ten minutes following a complaint about a nuisance car in Radford Way and tackled a long row of illegally parked cars - much to the annoyance of their owners.

Those driving the family taxi are warned that a number of schools may be among the prime targets for parking inspectors.

Published Thursday, April 10, 2003

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