As every motorist knows, it's almost part of the highway code that traffic wardens are humourless, robotic jobsworths.

The dreaded phrase “I've got my pen out” has turned many a harmless trip to the shops into an exercise in containing one's fury.

Now, in an attempt to improve the reputation of an occupation that consistently ranks low in the popularity stakes, traffic wardens are undergoing a makeover.

They will help elderly people with their shopping, give directions, report missing manhole covers and even give motorists a second chance.

The Times has learnt that the country's biggest employer of traffic wardens has ordered its operatives to issue tickets only as a last resort.

Westminster Council said that it was trying to reduce the number of tickets it handed out each year to make life easier for motorists and improve its parking services.

After attending customer service seminars, the wardens will be followed by undercover council staff who will ask them questions such as “How long can I park here?” to ensure that they are carrying out their duties with politeness and a friendly smile. Lambeth Council has adopted a similar system. If they do not score well enough, wardens could be fined. The undercover staff will also pretend to be errant motorists, in a scheme akin to that of “mystery shoppers”, to ensure that motorists are being given a second chance.

Westminster Council is also abol- ishing the use of bailiffs to recover debts, except in the case of serious parking offenders. The bailiffs they employ will also be subject to regular inspections to ensure that they are polite and friendly when they arrive on people's doorsteps to seek payment for parking offences.

Waliur Rahman, operations manager for NCP Services, the council's parking contractor, told The Times that issuing tickets was a “last resort only” and that motorists would be given a reprieve if they arrive at their vehicle when a warden is in the middle of issuing a fine.

“Parking officers have had so much negative publicity in the past, we're trying to send out a message to motorists. It's all about the quality of our customer service,” he said.

“Parking attendants are being told not only to patrol the streets, but to help a member of the public if they're struggling across the street with their suitcase.”

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