Last traffic warden leaves town

The only remaining traffic warden to operate in a Berkshire town has left work after being made redundant.

Rick Kempster stopped handing out penalties in Wokingham in July.

A Thames Valley Police spokeswoman said parking enforcement had passed to police community support officers (PCSOs) who had the same powers.

She added there was now only one traffic warden left in West Berkshire - in Newbury - and that was because they were funded by the council, not police.

"It's something that's been happening for a while across West Berkshire," she said.

"The last traffic warden in Wokingham took redundancy and left in July because PCSOs have traffic powers now - they are undertaking the same work that the traffic wardens did.

"It's just about the allocation of resources, but it doesn't mean that there's going to be parking chaos in Wokingham."