Almost a thousand fewer parking fines were slapped on the windscreens of drivers across parts of Norfolk last year - because of the retirement of parking wardens who issue them.
New statistics have revealed that 16,333 penalty charge notices were served on motorists caught flouting parking restrictions outside of Norwich in 2022/23.
That was a fall of 962 on the 17,295 the previous year and Norfolk County Council officers has revealed it was because two enforcement officers had retired, leaving gaps in the coverage in a number of parts of the county.
County Hall officers said the long-term sickness and retirement of parking wardens in the Broadland area had meant the officer who covers North Norfolk had to split their duties to enforce that area as well.
The result was that fines issued in North Norfolk fell from 3,486 to 2,795, while in Broadland there was a drop from 322 to 247.
Council officers said fewer holidaymakers in North Norfolk - following the post-Covid pandemic staycation boom the previous year - had also contributed to the drop.
One of the two enforcement officers who cover Breckland also retired, with tickets there down from 1,559 to 1,069.
However, the number of fines issued in South Norfolk and King's Lynn rose after officer vacancies were plugged.
While numbers outside Norwich fell, in the city tickets issued were up from 20,402 to 22,666. That meant, across Norfolk, the total handed out rose from 37,697 to 38,999.
The number paid also increased from 27,814 to 29,735, while the number cancelled or written off fell from 5,210 to 4,133.
READ MORE: Norfolk hit with record £1.2m in parking fines
Penalty charge notices are issued by civil enforcement officers to drivers who ignore restrictions, such as by parking on yellow lines, not buying pay and display tickets or staying too long in time-limited spaces.
Council bosses said money generated goes back into the Norfolk Parking Partnership - a collaboration between Norfolk's councils - and is used to cover enforcement, maintenance and back office costs.
Graham Plant, the county council's cabinet member for highways, transport and infrastructure, said "outstanding work" had been done by the enforcement officers.
