DRIVERS have protested after traffic wardens struck on New Year's Day, giving fines to vehicles thought to have been parked up by people enjoying seasonal festivities the night before.

Bedale Town Council is now calling for a suspension of enforcement on Bank Holidays, asking North Yorkshire County Council to change the regulations, giving motorists a break from the threat of parking fines.

Bedale resident Martyn Coombs was so concerned he asked the council to take action after seeing a traffic warden when he went into town to pick up his car the day after the New Year's Eve celebrations.

“I was staggered to see the officer issuing tickets to cars which had obviously been left there overnight. Later that day we drove to Sunderland and parked free in the city centre because the parking restrictions don’t apply there on Sunday’s or bank holidays,” said Mr Coombs.

“It made me think, why don’t North Yorkshire County Council include bank holidays in their parking restrictions? After all there were no shops open on New Year's Day in Bedale and no parking problems.

“What better way to shoot yourself in the foot. Issuing tickets on New Year's Day bank holiday had nothing to do with traffic management or keeping parking spaces free, because there was no traffic.

"It was simply a money making scheme by penalising sensible drivers who chose to walk home on New Year's Eve.”

Town councillor Clive Pointon said: "If people approach you and say the enforcement officer was out on New Year's Day booking people when they had the foresight not to drink and drive, it doesn’t look good. A lot of large cities don’t have parking restrictions on bank holidays.”

Stricter parking enforcement was brought in in Bedale and other market towns across Hambleton and Richmondshire, with parking charges introduced in Northallerton, after the police handed over responsibility for enforcement to North Yorkshire County Council two years ago.

The move has been controversial but some businesses have welcomed tougher enforcement because it means more spaces are available for visitors to the towns.

Now the county council has said it will look again at bank holiday enforcement.