"OVER ZEALOUS" parking attendants are restricting trade in the town, claim frustrated company bosses.

Owners say they are being hit hard financially by fines issued by parking attendants and that customers and suppliers are being frightened away because they are being constantly booked.

They say there are not enough loading bays for commercial firms in the town centre to unload goods without running the risk of a ticket, and are demanding that Bolton council address the problem and provide more loading bays.

Mike Morton, a partner with delivery firm Lancashire Couriers, based at Kenyon Business Park, Pilkington Street, said they are issued with at least one ticket per week by parking attendants.

He said: "Our drivers park outside a shop to deliver goods for a few minutes. When they return they have been issued with a ticket.

"We show the parking attendant the paperwork to show we are delivering goods -- but they just tell us to contact Bolton town hall. They are being over-zealous.

"We operate a policy that it is up to our drivers to drive responsibly and pay the fine. If they are earning £50 a day and they get a £40 ticket, then not many drivers are going to stay with the firm. This is bad for our business."

Mr Morton believes that parking bays are badly needed on Mawdsley Street and Knowsley Street in Bolton town centre.

He said: "We deliver there on a daily basis and there is just nowhere for us to load and unload. There needs to be a little common sense applied here.

"We are just trying to serve industries in Bolton."

Jillian Howell, of Bolton Blinds, based on Bold Street, said they have been campaigning for two-and-a-half years to get a parking bay outside their premises.

She said: "Parking attendants are costing us business. One customer told us that if they cannot unload outside our shop without being booked, they would have to take their business elsewhere. These are customers whom we cannot afford to lose."

A spokeswoman for Bolton council said guidance had been given, both to businesses and Apcoa -- the company which runs parking in the town on behalf of the council -- about unloading vehicles in the town centre.

She said: "Loading bays is one of a number of parking issues we are currently looking at.

"Space in the town is at a premium and the council is working hard to balance the needs of retailers with that of bus companies, taxi ranks, disabled drivers, pedestrians and other road users.

"If any retailer wants to let us know about a particular problem they have with loading, we will take their views into consideration and see how we can help.