Gotcha!

The 20-strong team have been told to get snap happy when out

on the beat with the cameras, programmed to record dates and times of offences.

The move comes just six weeks after Blackburn with Darwen Council took over enforcement of traffic regulations from the police and added it to their powers to punish people who overstayed their welcome in on and off-street car parks.

Thousands of tickets have already been issued, and motoring groups today hit out at the digital camera move, claiming it was sending the wrong message to motorists.

A spokesman for the Association of British Drivers said: "This is over-the-top. The councils have to strike a balance between enforcement and just persecution and these cameras won't help."

Opposition councillors at Blackburn with Darwen Council said they would only support the move if the wardens -- known as parking attendants -- also look out and took pictures of areas where rubbish was being dumped.

They also hit out at the fact the attendants had been spotted 'hunting in packs' around Blackburn town centre, while outlying districts got very little attention.

Coun Andy Kay, executive member for regeneration at Blackburn with Darwen Council, said: "We have issued our attendants with digital cameras so that we have evidence to back up tickets when issued.

"It may be in the future that they can look out for areas where dumping has taken place, but not at the moment."

"They haven't been hunting in packs. They've been working together in small groups as they have been trained up. As of now, in the main, they will work by themselves, and the cameras will be useful for that."

But Coun Michael Law-Riding, a Conservative councillor, said: "They do seem to be hunting in packs when their time could be much better used.

"For example, why not use these cameras to take pictures of the grot spots around town which we still aren't getting to? If they are to be our eyes and ears, it would make sense."