CONCERNS have been raised over parking wardens in Winchester at a business meeting.

At the gathering at Hotel du Vin organised by the Winchester BID, local business owners complained that wardens have become too eager to hand out tickets, without taking into account the lack of appropriate parking space in the city.

There were reports of wardens hiding around corners in Jewry Street in order to jump out and ticket vehicles while they were unloading into local cafes.

Speaking at the meeting on Thursday, July 18, BID manager Sarah Davis said: "They even ticketed a Biffa bin lorry while it was driving around collecting rubbish."

READ MORE: Letter: 'Anger' and 'disgust' at city centre parking charges

Business chiefs met at Hotel du Vin to discuss trade in Winchester (Image: Sebastian Haw)

This last incident is particularly relevant as the city's waste disposal is managed by Winchester City Council, which passed over the running of parking to Hampshire County Council last year.

Since then, business owners and members of the public have reported a sharp increase in the number of parking tickets being handed out.

Moreover, many feel there is no point appealing against tickets as any formal objections made are outsourced to Oldham.

Andrew Burgess, director at Chartwell Properties and Developments, described how parking wardens had hid in an alleyway on Jewry Street, waiting for vans to stop outside Kavi Coffee, which his company was preparing for opening at the time.

He said: "They used to hide around the corner and run out when the vans would park up to unload."

NSL, the company which the county council contracts to enforce parking measures, came under scrutiny for its tactics.

In the past, NSL has stated that its traffic wardens do not get bonuses based on the number of tickets they issue, so it is unclear why they might resort to actions such as hiding behind corners.

SEE MORE: On-street parking across Hampshire returning to county council

On its website the company says: "Ethics are at the forefront of everything we do."

Those present last Thursday argued that the absence of specialist knowledge on the part of those evaluating motorists' appeals is leading to almost all of them being rejected.

Many feel that Winchester's unique traffic system must be taken into account when making these decisions, and that local knowledge is essential in order to do so.

The main problem for business owners has to do with loading and unloading merchandise, the meeting heard.

NSL and the county council have been approached for comment.