A TAXI boss has spoken out over an ‘over-zealous’ parking warden who he says is targeting his drivers.

Darwen-based Response Taxis manager Nadeem Nisar said his business had been affected by ‘tactics’ used by the warden.

However, Blackburn with Darwen Council said it would not stand for any ‘hostility’ towards its civil enforcement officers and said matters had been reported to the police.

The council also said it had no agreement with any taxi firm to use the Atlas Road car park, which the firm uses, for free.

Mr Nisar said: “We have been based on the car park opposite the train station for over 20 years. A few years ago the car park outside our office became a pay and display car park.

“We were never bothered by anyone regarding parking, as our drivers use the washroom facilities here and we have a lot of pick-ups from base jobs.

“Over the last few weeks there is a new female traffic warden who is victimising our drivers and issues parking tickets while our drivers are picking up customers outside base.”

Mr Nisar claims: “She parks around a corner and waits for us and issues a parking ticket.

“We have had eight tickets, and seven of those were rescinded as we appealed.”

Several traveller caravans are in the car park too.

Mr Nisar said: “We strongly feel a little bit of common sense should prevail especially when our office is on this car park that we should not get booked for picking up customers.

“We transit vulnerable customers and key workers in these troubling times. “Already during lockdown things have been difficult for small businesses like ours and to have to deal with this extra stress causing huge issues for our drivers.”

A council spokesperson said: “We are aware of incidents at this site involving hostility towards our civil enforcement officers, which has been reported to the police. Atlas Road is a council-owned car park and anyone who chooses to park on this site does so on the understanding that they must pay and display.

“The council has no agreement with any taxi firm to use the facility for free. If someone is parked for longer than five minutes without paying and displaying then they are doing so against the regulations and can be ticketed according to the law.”

Mr Nisar refuted any allegations of hostility from any of his staff.