A DISGRUNTLED Bolton trader, angered by traffic wardens who slap parking fines on his delivery vans, has vowed to charge the council each time he is approached by an attendant.

Peter Martindale, transport manager of Martindale Foods on Shiffnall Street, accused wardens of being "like vultures."

He said they waited for vans and customers to pull up outside his shop before dashing out and issuing warnings and fines.

Now he says he will charge Bolton Council £40 whenever he has to leave his business to argue with the wardens.

He said: "We are allowed up to 20 minutes for deliveries but that doesn't seem to wash with these people.

"There has been as many as seven attendants present in the area at one time and I believe we are being harassed. The £40 fee will be to pay for my wasted time."

Bolton Council took over street car park regulations from police in September.

Since then Mr Martindale says delivery lorries being loaded with goods, or customers waiting just a few minutes on double yellow lines, are being targeted.

Mr Martindale has written to the council to explain the situation but he is still awaiting a reply. And a petition by traders has also been sent.

Ian Taylor, Bolton Council's head of parking services told the BEN he had not yet received Mr Martindale's complaint.

But he added that it was not possible for parking attendants to be lying in wait for vehicles to stop.

He stressed that contractors had an obligation to make visits to several streets in a day so time constraints would not allow them to target one particular area.

He added that commercial vehicles stopping on double yellow lines needed to be actively loading or unloading bulky goods otherwise they were liable for a fine.

"We are just applying the law," he said.

"We won't be lying in wait to catch Mr Martindale or anyone else."

Mr Taylor stressed that street waiting restrictions were introduced in the area several years ago after consultation with traders who were concerned about their inability to easily access their premises due to parked vehicles.

But he added that he would look at the issues raised by Mr Martindale when he received his letter.