In the financial year 2008/09, 734 parking tickets were issued on Valley Drive – more than on any other Harrogate street.

The second most popular warden hotspot was nearby Swan Road, where 489 tickets were issued.

A total of 18,677 tickets were handed out in the town last year - that is just over 1,550 every month, and 359 every week.

This figure is up three per cent on the year before, and compares to 16,717 tickets in York (down 21 per cent), and 127,137 in Leeds (down two per cent.)

Enforcement

Harrogate Borough Council owns and operates a number of off-street car parks throughout the district, and is responsible for the enforcement of the parking restrictions within these car parks and their maintenance.

While North Yorkshire County Council is the Enforcement Authority for on-street parking restrictions, Harrogate Borough Council acts as its agent within the district's boundaries, carrying out enforcement duties on its behalf.

Parking restrictions have been introduced over the years to help to resolve local parking issues and improve traffic flow and road safety. Patrols are carried out from 7am to midnight, but those after 6.30pm are at customer request.

Benefit

Coun Don Mackenzie, cabinet member for planning and transport, said: "Parking enforcement in Harrogate District is not first and foremost about income from tickets.

"Its purpose is to ensure that vehicles are not parked in the wrong place and for longer than permitted, so that there is a turnover in spaces, to the benefit of all drivers.

"We are also anxious to protect residents' parking zones, and the rights of those residents, who have bought permits.

"I believe that Harrogate residents do understand the need for proper enforcement, without which on-street parking arrangements simply would not work."

Stats

According to the parking services annual report, covering March 2008 to March 2009:

- The total income generated from car parking in the district is just over £2 million.

- Costs are equal to £967,637.40, which leaves a surplus of £1.3m.

- For on-street parking this income comes from; Pay and Display and meters (£1,648,816.96), residents, visitors, and business parking permits (£70,249.42), and Penalty Charge Notices (£455.584.15).

- For off-street parking, the total income comes from fines (£86,570), while expenditure is £292,176, leaving a deficit of £205,606.09.

- Just under 77 per cent of fines, or Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) are actually paid.

- A total of 3,534 were cancelled or written off.

- The busiest month for enforcement officers is July, where 1,957 fines were issued, compared to Febuary (1,263) and December (1,291).