Traffic wardens have one of the most controversial jobs out there and are a real point of contention for drivers.

So here are your rights when encountering one along with a few facts - and myths debunked - about them.

What is a traffic warden?

A traffic warden or civil enforcement officer is employed by local councils and are responsible for enforcing parking regulations and issuing penalty charge notices. They might have limited powers but they will often work with the police and report incidents.

If I drive away before a warden puts a ticket on my windscreen, is it valid?

If a council traffic warden has issued a PCN but not yet attached it to your vehicle, the council has the power to request the car’s registered details from the DVLA and can send you a postal PCN.

They will already have your vehicle registration number so will be able to trace you through that.

Does a traffic warden have to observe my vehicle for a minimum period before giving me a ticket?

There is no strict requirement for traffic wardens to monitor a vehicle for any period of time before giving it a PCN but in some cases, such as stopping on double yellow lines, there may need to be an observation period of anything up to five minutes to prove that passengers weren’t getting out or goods weren’t being unloaded.

Is there a 'parking grace period' wardens have to honour?

Traffic wardens must give motorists a grace period of up to 10 minutes after their parking ticket expires. This applies to both council and private car parks.

Do traffic wardens have targets?

No. Local authority traffic wardens don’t have targets. For private companies, however, it depends if the operator is a member of the British Parking Association or the Independent Parking Committee.

The BPA code of practice states: “Effective from 2 January 2018, the practice of offering financial incentives relating to the quantity of parking charge notices in new and existing employee contracts is prohibited.”

But IPC-registered operators are advised: “You may use incentive schemes to motivate your staff and improve productivity. However, you may not use an incentive scheme which focusses solely on the volume of parking charges issued without introducing sufficient checks and balances so as to ensure that operatives do not issue Parking Charges where they should not.”

It is obviously unknown if parking enforcement firms that monitor private car parks and aren't members of either of these bodies set targets or not.

I have a Blue Badge. Can a parking warden still fine me?

It’s true that Blue Badge holders can park where other motorists can’t, such as on single or double yellow lines, but that doesn’t mean they can park anywhere.

The maximum time a Blue Badge holder can park on single or double yellow lines is three hours.

Blue Badge holders will have to pay to park in private car parks, unless there are signs saying otherwise. Some public Blue Badge bays have their own time restrictions, but these should be signposted clearly.

Can a warden cancel a fine?

If you’re given a parking fine which you deem to be unfair, there’s not much point taking it up with an individual traffic warden. They have little power to cancel a fine, and they won’t have any desire to do so. Instead, you’re within your rights to appeal it with the council.

If you plan to go down the appeal route, don’t pay the fine. Doing so is an admission of guilt and you’re unlikely to get the money back.

Contact the council as soon as possible (within 14 days) and outline why you feel the fine isn’t justified.

Use pictures of where the car was parked, along with any signs in the area to support your appeal.

I was parked on private land when I got a parking ticket. Can I ignore it?

The rules are different if you’re parked on private land (such as a supermarket car park).

Instead of a penalty charge notice, you’ll be given a parking charge notice, which is essentially an invoice for breaching a contract.

The details of this contract will be signposted in the car park.

Companies often pay private firms that specialise in enforcing parking in car parks.

If they are members of the British Parking Association or Independent Parking Committee, these firms can request your data from the DVLA and send you a PCN through the post.

If you refuse to cough up, the company will have to take you through the civil courts to force you to pay.

This is costly and time-consuming, so they may not pursue the claim. However, if they do, you could end up with a much larger fine that includes court costs.

If you have broken the rules and been issued a PCN, it’s often easier (and cheaper) just to pay it than try to avoid it.

Information from the RAC