POPULAR cycle firm Pilkington's have been driven out of Bury town centre and they blame ticket-crazy traffic wardens for it.

After 28 years the company are to move from The Rock to a new shop in Elton, with the angry owners condemning the "profiteering quota mentality" of NCP wardens working on behalf of Bury Council.

Darren Stephens, who runs the business with his father, Martin, says that over-zealous wardens have been booking delivery drivers and customers within minutes of parking. One driver was even booked at 11 o'clock at night.

Their criticisms are the latest in a growing number of complaints directed at Bury Council and National Car Parks (NCP), whose wardens now "police" parking in Bury on behalf of the local authority.

Councils in Bolton and Manchester have also recently come under fire with calls from politicians to get a grip of wardens whose hard-line approach is antagonising motorists and driving shoppers out of the towns.

Darren Stephens says his customers have been booked immediately after being told by attendants that they could collect cycles from the shop, while late-night delivery drivers have also fallen victim to uncompromising wardens who issue £60 parking tickets.

"In the past, with police and traffic wardens, there was a little bit of give and take but this lot start writing the ticket as soon as they see the car," said Darren. "There are double yellow lines on either side of the shop and no other way for us to operate.

"We had one delivery booked at nearly 11pm. It's not busy at that time; they just seem to be aiming for a target.

"There is no reasoning with these people and now we have had enough. The vast majority of our customers say that moving out of the town centre is the best thing that we could do."

But there was little sympathy from council parking services manager John Foudy.

"If there is a traffic regulation order then, in the case of a delivery, it does not matter what time it is. Anyone parking in the area should do so in accordance with the rules, and can make an appeal to NCP if they feel justified."

A spokesman for NCP added: "Bury Council tell us how we must operate. We simply enforce the rules; we don't make them."