TRAFFIC wardens on patrol in Blackburn were today given a police escort just days after they were threatened with violence.

Four wardens began work in the Whalley Range area of Blackburn at around 10.30am today, accompanied by a police-employed community support officer, and a regular policeman. The move came just three days after Blackburn with Darwen Council said an incident, when a warden in the area was threatened by a motorist, had been dealt with and patrols were continuing as normal.

Residents said it was the first time they had seen the blue-clad wardens in the area since last week's incident.

They also said it was the first time they had seen police on patrol with them. Today the council said a police presence

during patrols in Whalley Range and other parts of the borough was 'routine.'

But a local councillor today said tensions had been running high in the area since the introduction of the Blackburn with Darwen council-employed parking wardens, who assumed control of traffic order enforcement from the police at the start of the month.

Before October 1, there had been very little enforcement of regulations such as double yellow lines, which often led to roads like Whalley Range being clogged with parked cars.

Today, there were few cars parked on the road, so the four wardens, backed by the police, concentrated instead on side streets, where some people had begun parking under the false impression that they would not get fines for parking on double yellow lines.

Manir Hussain, who lives in Whalley Range, said: "They've cleared the main road of cars, which is good, but what harm are people doing on the small streets?

"These rules need changing because more people have cars."

A spokesman for Blackburn Police said: "A community beat manager has accompanied new wardens today to give them advice on issues specific to the area they know a lot about.

"It is an agreement we have with the council."

Peter Hunt, the council's director of direct services, said: "This is part of our normal liaison with the police and community officers.

"It is obviously essential we forge such links and look at areas together.

"This applies to other parts of the borough and is nothing out of the ordinary."

The police last week warned they would clamp down on drivers who intimidate the parking wardens, warning they would increase patrols in problem areas.

Their warning followed a formal complaint made by wardens to the police following the incident last week. It is understood a meeting between the police and the council bosses in charge of the wardens is due to take place this week.

Coun Hussain Akhtar, a local shopkeeper and councillor for the Whalley Range area, said: "We don't want to see people threatened because they are solving some problems.

"Parking in residential areas needs to be sorted out so everyone is happy."

The council employs 20 wardens, who mainly operate in pairs.