A COUNCIL enforcement officer has been criticised for not following the parking rules.

Spotted in Brampton were two Carlisle City Council traffic wardens; one appeared to be parked on double yellow lines while carrying out their duties in the town.

Drivers are issued penalties if they are parked on double yellow lines.

The fine for parking on double yellow lines is usually £70, but it can vary depending on where you are in the country.

READ MORE: Carlisle shoplifter spared jail as she is 'making progress'

One other warden was spotted in Brampton yesterday in the car park beside the public toilets.

Both were in their distinctively marked electric cars.

An eyewitness also said the one parking in the car park did not present a disc while parking in a disc zone; a rule usually mandatory for drivers in the city, and something that is usually punished in the form of a fine.

Carlisle City Council enforcement officers, distinct from Cumbria County Council traffic wardens, do not enforce rules on parking in disc zones, as these are enforced by Cumbria County Council.

They also do not give out fines for cars parked on double yellow lines, this can only be done by Cumbria County Council traffic wardens or the police.

Carlisle City Council enforcement officers only deal with car parks that the City Council owns and oversees, and deal with environmental regulations, not just parking regulations in their car parks.

A spokesperson from Carlisle City Council said: “Local authority vehicles do not need to display parking discs or permits whilst staff are undertaking official duties. 

“We do however recognise the concerns about parking on double yellow lines and will discuss this with the officers concerned.

“We thank residents for bringing this to our attention.”

The disc parking scheme is managed by Cumbria County Council, who write on their website explaining it: “When parking in a disc zone the motorist should indicate their time of arrival and clearly display this on the vehicle dashboard.

“Once the parking time has expired the vehicle must be moved from the zone for at least the time period specified by the sign before it returns.” 

In Brampton, they can be obtained for free from the Cumberland Building Society, Half Moon Wholefoods, Mr Brown’s Café and the Post Office on Front Street.

For more information about the rules on parking, click here.

READ MORE: Sex offender secretly used his elderly mum's iPad to look for abuse images