It 's not something parking wardens are usually accused of ... but some have been criticised for being too nice . An inspection in two Welsh towns found officers there were reluctant to issue tickets , letting many locals get away with parking offences . And their lax approach meant that parking in the evenings and at weekends had become a ‘ free for all ’ . Inspectors in Welshpool and Llandrindod Wells have been accused of being too lax when it comes to giving out parking tickets for infringements ( file picture ) The investigation was carried out by officials from Powys County Council , who could not understand why the council was losing money on enforcing parking restrictions . Powys council needs to issue 40 per cent more tickets just to break even . Councillors shadowed wardens three times in the towns of Welshpool and Llandrindod Wells and found there were plenty of infringements , but many were going unticketed . In one case , a driver had already overrun their allotted time by 15 minutes , but the warden ‘ still appeared to be reluctant to issue the ticket ’ . Officials also often did not penalise tradesmen for parking in restricted areas – even though only water and electricity vehicles are allowed to stop in them without permits . The councillors said some of the conversations they overheard between residents and officers ‘ would indicate that paying to park may be the exception rather than the rule ’ . Even when tickets were issued , 39 per cent were cancelled at the first challenge . The councillors said some of the conversations they overheard between residents and officers ‘ would indicate that paying to park may be the exception rather than the rule ’ ( file picture ) The investigators suggested a range of actions to toughen up the operation , including shortening the grace period drivers are given after their time runs out before a ticket is issued . They said wardens are currently leaving it ‘ too long ’ , particularly since the process to issue a ticket itself takes seven minutes and can be aborted at any time . They also said ticketing policies need to be more consistent across Powys as ‘ decisions are made locally and sometimes contrary to police recommendations ’ . Some 5,000 tickets are issued in Powys , bringing in £1.2million a year , but the council is still subsidising the operation . The report said 7,000 tickets would need to be issued to make the service ‘ cost neutral ’ .
Probe carried out by Powys council in Welshpool and Llandrindod Wells . The probe was launched after a number of complaints from residents about the noise levels at the homes on the estate.