PARKING wardens could be fitted with body cameras in a bid to deter angry motorists from attacking them.
The move, being considered by Croydon Council, could also apply to wardens targeting litter louts.
Both the council's community safety team and parking services department are looking at the idea of supplying cameras to staff whose job brings them in direct contact with the public.
Officers believe openly using cameras could act as a deterrent to clashes between staff and the public.
Kingdom Security, the council's private contractor dealing with littering offences in the town centre, already issues its staff with body cameras which are used for recording conversations when a fine is being issued.
The information has been used to deal with complaints.
Councillor Simon Hoar, cabinet member for community safety and public protection, has given a guarded welcome to the idea.
But he stressed officers using cameras would need to avoid any covert filming and ensure the public knew cameras were being used only to target offenders.
Cllr Hoar said: "We are looking at our own enforcement officers being issued with cameras and I have no problem with that, provided they are used properly."
He said filming could be used to benefit officers when they were confronted by an angry member of the public, and by motorists to help resolve any dispute they had over the issuing of a penalty notice.
The idea of issuing cameras to parking attendants was given a more enthusiastic welcome by Councillor Phil Thomas, the cabinet member for highways and environmental services.
He said: "I would support anything that protects our staff against people who make threats to them.
"They have a difficult job enforcing the law and we all know that nobody likes getting a parking ticket. Everyone who gets one will always say they are in the right and insist our staff are always in the wrong."
Cllr Thomas said people who had a problem with being issued with a ticket had two ways of appealing; to the council and an independent adjudicator.
He said: "They have no reason to be rude or make threats to our staff and if the parking services department comes to me with a request to issue cameras to help stop this happening, it will have my full support."
