The chairman of the Local Councils Association, Ian Micallef, told this newspaper that the reason for the decision was to reduce, as much as humanly possible, any margin of error.

Dr Micallef said wardens must now issue tickets to motorists on the spot because there were far too many complaints and abuse by people who decided to contest their summons at a tribunal.

He said, “The only exceptions are when a motorist fails to stop, if the offence was picked up on CCTV or if a warden has been threatened while issuing a booking.”

He continued, “Even though those summons may be sent through the post, they must be posted within 48 hours of a contravention. Even then, wardens must testify as to why they sent the summons through the post.”