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A PARKING attendant with the specialist head cam used to capture drivers abusing wardens
A PARKING attendant with the specialist head cam used to capture drivers abusing wardens
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Crime caught on camera

Pamela Welsh
13/ 3/2008

HEAD cameras used by traffic wardens in Salford in the first trial of its kind in the country have resulted in the first prosecution.

Abuse against parking attendants has fallen by a third since the introduction of new head cameras to catch culprits in the act.

Wardens in the city were the first in the country to use the head cameras, in a trial by NCP Services, and the new technology has resulted in the first prosecution of its kind.

Darren Ingham, 38, from Lower Kersal, was on a bike when he spotted two traffic wardens handing out tickets on Blackfriars in Salford.

He threatened to shoot and behead one and racially abused the other, a Filipino.

Attempts to calm him failed and he fled on his bike. One of the NCP wardens was wearing a head camera and footage was handed to police.

Ingham says he was stunned when police arrived to arrest him five months after the incident, which he had forgotten about.

He spent several weeks in prison following his arrest in January before the case came to court.

He was given a two-year supervision order after pleading guilty at Manchester Crown Court to a racially-aggravated public order offence.

Ingham has now apologised to the traffic wardens and says he felt sickened when he saw the footage of himself shouting at them.

And he has warned other people to be wary of the cameras after what he remembered as a few cross words in the heat of the moment was shown to be threats of violence and racism.

Ingham said: "I have already apologised to the court and I want to say ‘sorry’ again to the traffic wardens I shouted at.

"I was shocked when I saw the footage. I don’t remember doing that.

"Watching the film sickened me. I was under a lot of stress at the time and I had just been told my benefits were stopping but that is no excuse for what I did.

"I was horrified when I saw it on the news. People have been telling me they saw it. It has made me very embarrassed. Traffic wardens are only doing their job and I think it is probably a good thing they’re wearing these cameras. People should think twice before laying into them."

NCP communications manager James Pritchard said: "Since the cameras were introduced, assaults have fallen by 30 per cent."

The cameras have been introduced by NCP, which is contracted to carry out parking and litter enforcement on behalf of Salford City Council, to gather evidence against litter louts and to help protect staff.

Click on the video window to see the head camera footage ...


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Most recent 2 of 3 user comments

   Okay, coming out of polemical mode... in all seriousness, there is a limited requirement for this role in genuine situations of safety and traffic flow - I recognise that and accept that, and so does every right thinking member of the public - however we all know that the vast majority of the 'work' wardens do is nothing to do with genuine issues and everything to do with sneaking about raising revenue for the council from the soft target that is the increasingly beleaguered motorist. Years ago wardens were only to be found in city centres but now they have proliferated to the point where they can be found hovering round small suburban 'high streets' and even local housing estates where there is no issue of safety/flow at all [at the same time as the council has slapped double yellow lines all over small local roads]... the reason is the motorist is a cash cow for Salford Council.
Richard Carvath
14/03/2008 at 12:32
   Ah Richard, if and when you become a councillor you will realise that traffic wardens (or to use their correct title- parking attendants) do a vital job. Illegal and haphazzard parking does cause severe problems on traffic flow and safety as well as causing problems for local residents. Ask any school which experiences school gate parking on zig zags. They regularly contact the council begging them to deploy parking attendants to keep the area clear for safety reasons. They do a difficult job in difficult circumstances and your comments are unfair and ill-judged.
RS Eccles, Eccles
14/03/2008 at 11:10
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