Around 20 parking tickets a day are being handed out to Keighley motorists by council wardens.

The new-style traffic wardens have pounced on 4,305 motorists parking illegally in the town. Across the district wardens have handed out almost 6,000 fines over the past six months.

This equates to nearly 200 people a day being caught by the district’s 46 civil enforcement officers. Between them they have collected £850,000 in penalty charges since taking over responsibility from the police.

A team of eight wardens works in the Keighley area.

They are able to impose fines of £70 for offences such as parking on double yellow lines and £50 for offences such as overstaying in a pay and display car park.

The fee drops by half if it is paid within 14 days and over 90 per cent of people have taken advantage of the offer.

June was the most expensive for motorists with 6,200 tickets issued across the district, falling to 4,971 in August and then increasing again as autumn arrived.

Paul Ratcliffe, the council’s parking services manager, said: “The civil enforcement officers who tackle illegal parking have noticed over time that parking has improved which means the roads are less congested and it helps businesses in the city and town centres.

“The officers are not given any targets to reach or incentives to do their job.

“Obviously, no-one likes receiving a parking ticket but generally people are in favour of the action we are taking to keep the streets safer.”