motorists are being warned that a blitz on parking will begin exactly four weeks from today.

Drivers who park illegally in the town face fines of up to £70 due to the arrival of new-style traffic wardens.

The civil enforcement officers, employed by Bradford Council, will issue tickets for dozens of offences.

Eventually, there will be eight officers patrolling Keighley as part of a 46-strong force operating across the district.

All have been trained in areas such as law and how to deal with irate motorists.

The officers, wearing distinctive blue uniforms, will be able to issue fines from March 26.

Before then they will be on the streets issuing warning tickets to people already flouting parking laws.

Paul Ratcliffe, the council’s parking services manager, said the warning notices would let people know what was happening.

He said: “We don’t want to go out on March 26 and issue tickets left right and centre.

“But if people continue to ignore the parking restrictions they risk getting a ticket. Every single waiting restriction in the district has been put there for a reason — whether it be safety or the vitality of the area.” Mr Ratcliffe said officers would be given no targets, bonuses or incentives and would deal with appeals due to mitigating circumstances in a fair and consistent manner.

The council is taking on responsibility for enforcing regulations from the police.

The council will be responsible for enforcing parking restrictions, including double yellow lines, some school zigzags, pay-and-display parking, parking spaces for the disabled and limited waiting areas.

The parking takeover has been put back a number of times to allow the council to ensure that all traffic regulations in the district are properly marked.

All the double yellow lines and other markings across the district were checked and re-painted where necessary.

Eventually, there will be 46 officers, with 12 working in the city centre, eight each in Shipley and Keighley, and six each in Bradford North, South and West.

They will be able to impose fines of £70 or £50 depending on the seriousness of the offence. This charge can drop by half if paid within 14 days.

A number of office staff have also been taken on to deal with the paperwork and any appeals.