PETERSFIELD will in future have to share a traffic warden in a bid to cut costs.

The reduction in the number of traffic wardens in the district is set to come into effect early in the new year.

It comes after the news that one of the two traffic wardens currently employed in East Hampshire will go, with a budget for only one post.

Petersfield currently has one traffic warden, who also patrols other areas including Liphook.

Another traffic warden works out of Alton and the surrounding area. Under the new criteria, only one traffic warden would be retained to patrol the whole of the district.

In a statement this week, Hampshire Police said that "a decision has been made to retain a single traffic warden to deal with parking issues across the district, in consultation with East Hampshire District Council".

Town mayor Vaughan Clarke was shocked at the decision and defended current traffic warden Doris O'Neill, who has been in the job for almost 10 years.

"Doris does a fantastic job keeping the traffic moving in the town," he said.

"Where as traffic wardens are viewed in hatred in some areas of the country, we think of Doris with fond affection because she keeps the town from becoming gridlocked."

He declared: "This is a retrograde step that is being carried out by the police."

Mr Clarke claimed that Petersfield "seemed to be getting the rough edge of the deal in Hampshire", with the police concentrating on other areas of the county such as Portsmouth and Southampton.

The statement from Hampshire Police said that the force in East Hampshire would be making changes to the way parking enforcement was carried out from next year.

"Hampshire Constabulary currently funds two traffic warden posts for East Hampshire, although there is only a budget provided for one post."

The second post, according to the statement, had been funded since the policing district was formed in April 2006.

"However, due to financial constraints and further pressures on public spending, there is no longer a budget to support this."

Discussions are also in the early stages to discuss the possibility of decriminalising traffic parking offences, as has occurred in a number of district councils in the country, among then nearby Waverley Borough Council, which took over parking enforcement more than a year ago.

East Hampshire district commander Philip Kedge said: "East Hampshire is one of the last districts nationally to retain police-employed traffic wardens. It is part of our police modernisation agenda to reduce this responsibility and transfer this to the district council.

"However, this may not happen in the near future and the single traffic warden will cover parking issues during this time."

Chief inspector Kedge added: We continue to work closely with East Hampshire District Council on the issue and the reduction in our traffic warden posts is likely to happen early in the new year.

"The traffic wardens have made an excellent contribution to their local communities and they are widely supported by residents.

"This decision has not be made lightly."

Julia Marshall, the district council's lead councillor for community safety said: "EHDC is currently looking at what we might be able to do to help in this situation."

In the meantime, a spokesman for East Hampshire District Council said that there was no specific date for the takeover of parking enforcement.

"It is still a work in progress," added the spokesman, who expected it would be discussed early next year.