DRIVERS could say goodbye to free parking and face a squad of traffic wardens if blanket parking charges are imposed on every town in north Wiltshire.

Hundreds of free spaces and one-hour restricted bays could be replaced by parking meters and rising charges, and a team of 15 traffic wardens will be sent out onto the streets to issue fines to drivers who break the rules.

The move by North Wiltshire District Council is in response to the government's decriminalisation of parking and should put thousands of pounds in the council's coffers.

All free parking would end by next spring and traffic wardens will be on the streets within months.

District councillor Ross Henning said: "The off-street parking is a free-for-all because there are no traffic wardens.

"What we want to do is introduce charges to all car parks because we are having a lot of problems in towns where people park for long periods of time and clutter up car parks when they could use the bus, walk or cycle.

"We can free up the car parks so other people can pop into town for an hour or two. If they remain free it is a substantial cost to the taxpayer.

"People park almost wherever they like, the only people who are issuing tickets are the police but they don't do it a lot.

"We don't want parking mayhem to go on for years and years."

North Wiltshire District Council runs 20 car parks and much of the charges and fines will be ploughed back into maintenance and improvements.

The possibility of parking meters beside the roads, with a reduction in double yellow lines, is being negotiated with Wiltshire County Council.

Free parking under threat includes 300 spaces in Corsham, 80 bays in Calne and Brakesmead car park in Chippenham.

Paul Watters, head of roads policy for the AA motoring trust said: "We would like to see a period of grace where drivers receive warnings and not fines. We also don't want the charges to be excessive.

"Any form of enforcement where there hasn't been enforcement before hits motorists a lot."

Consultation on NWDC's plans to take control of car parking was launched this week but no open or public meetings are planned.