UNDER-FIRE parking wardens could be ousted from an East Lancashire borough, following a wave of complaints.

Pendle Borough Council is threatening to pull out of the parking crackdown scheme, known as Parkwise, over fears it is upsetting motorists and damaging business.

LibDem council leader Coun Alan Davies is behind the proposal -- at a time when Hyndburn Council is also expressing reservations about the scheme.

Coun Davies, who has fallen foul of the wardens since they were introduced last autumn, said: "There has been pressure about this, without a doubt and it is having some effect on the trading position of our town centres.

"We are concerned about customer care, the way they talk to people. Many of the wardens are very rigid in the way they apply the rules and we want to address those concerns."

Coun Davies has put a motion to tonight's full council calling for an urgent review of Parkwise. And if the councillors don't get satisfactory answers to their questions as part of the review, they could pull out.

The scheme, run jointly by Lancashire County Council and borough councils, started last September when responsibility for enforcement was handed from police to local authorities.

A similar scheme was also adopted the following month by Blackburn with Darwen Council.

But Parkwise saw council-employed wardens taking a tough line with motorists who breached parking rules, leading to criticism that the councils were using Parkwise as a money-making scheme.

Pendle Council has yet to sign an agreement with Lancashire County Council about the scheme and Coun Davies believes Pendle should refuse until assurances are given on:

l Customer care training

l The number of attendants being used

l Policy with regard to disabled blue badge holders

l Off-street parking enforcement policy

l Parkwise publicity material 'which gives the false impression that it is primarily a Pendle Council project'

l More council representation at Parkwise partnership meetings.

Coun Peter Britcliffe, leader of Hyndburn Borough Council, said: "We are going to have an internal audit through the area forums. I would be keen to hear their views."

Pendle Council's actions were today welcomed by motoring group the Association of British Drivers.

Spokesman Nigel Humphries said: "I'm delighted Pendle Council is considering pulling out and I urge them to do it and for other local authorities to join them. Let's get back to managing the highways for the good of everybody rather than lining the pockets of a few council officers."

Nobody from Parkwise or the county council was available to comment.