I'm not a traffic warden ... call me a civil enforcement officer

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They are now called "civil enforcement officers" and come complete with new powers - and uniforms - thanks to the Traffic Management Act, introduced today.

To highlight their position as the "eyes and ears" of the council, Westminster unveiled their new look.

Gone are the peaked cap, blue ribbed jumper and yellow fluorescent vest that struck fear into the heart of drivers.

Instead,Westminster's CEOs wear a baseball cap and bomber jacket with high-visibility silver stripes. As well as handing out parking tickets, they will assist if the public are worried about anti-social behaviour, report suspicious activity, make a note of vehicles without tax discs and try to prevent car crime by alerting drivers who forget to hide valuable items when parking.

If they witness any crimes, they can be called on by police to give evidence in court.

But the new Act, which replaces the Road Traffic Act 1991, also allows CEOs to issue parking fines by post if they are unable to fix the penalty to the car. The first time a driver will know of the alleged offence is when the ticket lands on their doormat.

Critics say this will encourage dishonest CEOs to "hide in bushes" so motorists cannot see them, before sending a ticket by post - even if drivers were obeying the rules. Motorists would have little chance to gather evidence, or even recall the event.

While most councils are expected to issue such "drive away" tickets ,Westminster said it would not. London Councils, which represents all boroughs, said all fines would need supporting evidence.