TRAFFIC wardens are not deliberately using market days in Ledbury to hand out more tickets, but are following regulations to the letter, according to Herefordshire Council.

Town councillor, Tony Bradford has accused the authority's traffic wardens of "entrapment" by using the town's market day parking bays, in the High Street, as "a cash cow" for the county council.

He is calling for wardens to show more discretion before handing out tickets to motorists for parking in bays which, although reserved for market traders on market days, are often empty by late afternoon.

Cllr Bradford said that on one occasion, several furious motorists called him over to the Market House, after they had been given tickets for parking in empty bays which had just been vacated by market traders.

Cllr Bradford said: "I think traffic wardens should show more discretion. I think this situation is dreadful and I think it is entrapment.

"Herefordshire Council is using this as a cash cow, and I think it is an appalling situation at times when no traders are there."

Cllr Bradford said that visitors to the town in particular were likely to fall foul of the regulations, and are likely to be put off from ever returning to the market town.

However, this is not the first time that traffic wardens have been asked to show discretion before ticketing on market days.

A meeting took place on Tuesday May 15, 2012 with council officers, representatives from Ledbury Town Council, market traders, shop keepers and a representative from the council’s traffic team to discuss all of the concerns about the on-street market area.

But it was agreed then that parking enforcement officers should continue enforcing the area even when there are very few market stalls, as there is a legal Traffic Regulation Order in place and wardens need to be consistent.

A Herefordshire Council spokesperson said: "A Traffic Regulation Order made in 2010 is currently in place which designates part of High Street in Ledbury for the market on Tuesday and Saturdays between 7am and 5pm. Under the previous 2006 Traffic Regulation Order, parking in the area was restricted for the market up until 7pm.

"Enforcement officers have to be consistent and enforce the parking regulations fairly. Officers cannot ignore the parking restrictions in one area of High Street but enforce another area slightly further up the same street.

But the Herefordshire Council spokesman added: "If the area on the High Street is not required for the market after 3 pm, consideration could be given to amending the Traffic Regulation Order to reflect this. "A local councillor can take such a proposal forward to the traffic team at Balfour Beatty Living Places who deal with these for consideration."

Herefordshire Council says that the problem is not with signage.

The spokesman said: "Signs on the highway have to meet Department for Transport guidelines and the current signs meet these guidelines.”