POLICE have hit back at claims by a Bolton transport chief that there is one law for the rich and another for the poor when it comes to parking offences.

Greater Manchester Passenger Transport Authority Vice-chairman, Cllr Guy Harkin, claimed in the BEN that traffic cops back wealthy residents who do not want cars parked outside their homes.

At the same time they are refusing to do anything when people in poorer areas of mainly terraced housing complain about the same thing, he said.

Cllr Harkin compared a police crackdown on cars which had tickets slapped on them for causing obstruction on Regent Road - near Lostock Station - with parking problems in Hooton Street in his Daubhill ward.

He claimed he had given up taking complaints from Daubhill residents because police had told him nothing could be done unless waiting restrictions were introduced.

But Chief Supt Mel Pelham has hit back at Cllr Harkin's remarks and said the Deputy Leader of Bolton Council should take up any parking problems in his ward with police officers.

He said: "In 1997, 12,158 fixed penalty notices were issued by Divisional personnel throughout the Bolton area, only 38 of which were in Regent Road, Lostock. 234 were in St Helens Road and Derby Street, Daubhill.

"I have written to Cllr Harkin asking him to let me know how he came to the conclusion that we were not addressing parking problems in the vicinity of less expensive residential properties."

But a BEN check of the two areas has revealed that the commuters who got parking tickets on Regent Road, Lostock station were on a stretch of road with no parking restrictions. St Helens Road and Derby Street have waiting restrictions.

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