GAZETTE & HERALD: CHIPPENHAM'S last traffic warden Duncan Wostenholme has decided to quit his job for an even more unpopular job as speed camera enforcement officer.

While in many towns traffic wardens are regarded with dislike, and some are even threatened with violence, popular Mr Wostenholme said he resisted the temptation to become a little Hitler and instead tried to be a servant to the community.

The 56-year-old from Calne said he took the decision to quit after more than 18 years of service for a new challenge.

He said: "The question was do I go now and take the opportunity or wait and find the opportunity has gone. It's something new to put my talents to and I am looking forward to the challenge.

"When I was a traffic warden I did enforce the law when necessary, but I had a wider role than just handing out tickets. People were always coming up to me to ask for directions, where is this? Or where can I go to buy that? All the things you deal with as a uniformed presence on the streets.

"But it's the old story, everyone wants to be loved. I'm happy I did it."

Mr Wostenholme, who is based at Chippenham police station, said he never objected to anyone trying it on when confronted because he said he would probably do the same in their place. He does admit however, that during his career he has heard one or two interesting explanations from motorists parked on double yellow lines.

On one occasion a young, trim looking woman, insisted she had parked on double yellow lines outside a video rental shop, because she was an incredible 12-months pregnant and her doctor had advised her not to walk too far.

Mr Wostenholme said he bumped into a man parked on double yellow lines outside WH Smith. The man said he did not realise parking on the double yellow lines was an offence because he was from Coventry.

"People park in these places because of the pace of life or because they don't think. There's very few that just don't care," he said. "But my answer to anyone even now is if you don't want to get penalised for parking or speeding then don't do it. It's exactly the same for all traffic legislation."

The traffic warden said the biggest disappointment of his career was the public pillorying he received two years ago, when he switched off traffic lights at a major road junction leaving Chippenham gridlocked for four hours.

The division's senior warden said he had no choice but to switch off the lights at the junction of Gladstone Road and Avenue La Fleche to relieve a traffic jam at the Bridge Centre roundabout caused by roadworks.

Mr Wostenholme, who is a keen photographer, said the decision was made in conjunction with the division's control room and the duty police sergeant.

He explained that it was taking traffic on Avenue La Fleche two hours to reach the Bridge Centre and turning off the lights reduced this to 40 minutes.

But Mr Wostenholme said when the story reached the national papers what actually happened was grossly misinterpreted and left him feeling wronged and disappointed.

"My biggest down was when I was castigated over the traffic lights situation," he said. "It did hurt."

"I think a lot of people used what happened to show a traffic warden in a bad light," he said.

"I don't think I ever thought about quitting, it was more a case of shock, but I just tried to remember today's news is tomorrow's fish and chip paper."

Mr Wostenholme, who was a ground staff accountant in the RAF for 12 years and was based at RAF Lyneham at the end of his career, said he became a traffic warden almost by accident.

"I was unemployed and was looking for anything to take me off the dole," he said.

But the traffic warden, who is also the chairman of Wootton Bassett's Sea Cadet Unit, said he will miss the people in Chippenham, when he leaves.

"It was nice to get out and talk to people. It was nice to be known and respected by the public," he said.