Herefordshire Council has taken on responsibility for enforcing street parking throughout the county.

The authority's own parking attendants started their patrols on Monday with the power to impose £60 cash penalties on motorists who park on double yellow lines or in loading bays, who overstay their time in limited waiting areas, or park across bay markings. The charge is reduced to £30 if paid within 14 days.

The Road Traffic Act 1991, means that authorities can apply to the Secretary of State to "decriminalise" parking offences in their areas, so that enforcement ceases to be the responsibility of the police.

Herefordshire Council, which says the issue taxes police resources, has been preparing to take on parking enforcement for the past year.