Drivers in St Albans have had the freedom to park wherever they want since 1 April.

Hertfordshire Police withdrew its 50 wardens and told the district councils they must provide their own wardens.

New wardens are being trained to enforce parking regulations but it will be another seven weeks before they are ready to take to the streets.

Bus bays, taxi ranks, yellow lines and disabled spaces are being parked in by motorists taking advantage of the unusual situation.

It is great, we have been parking on double yellows and no parking areas Ed Couchman, resident

However not all of the city's 75,000 residents are happy with the lapse in parking restrictions.

Barbara Billings, of Camp Road, complained to the Herts Advertiser that the "anarchy" engulfing the city could overcome the new wardens.

In her letter she wrote: "I don't think that the reintroduction of traffic wardens will do much good because, unfortunately, anarchy has gained too strong a foothold."

Yet fellow resident and car-owner, Ed Couchman said he did not believe everyone was parking irresponsibly.

"There are double yellow lines by our house but we've been parking anywhere we want.

You'd be making a big mistake if you think you can park anywhere you want in St Albans Colin Connolly, Herts Police

"It is great, we have been parking on double yellows and no parking areas.

"The real problem is that there are too many cars and not enough parking spaces.

"This new system is much more manageable and it makes parking self-regulatory."

Police say 1,400 parking tickets have been handed out by probationary officers in the seven areas of the county which had failed to provide wardens since 1 April.

Hertfordshire Force spokesman Colin Connolly said they were carrying out traffic duties as part of their training.

"You'd be making a big mistake if you think you can park anywhere you want in St Albans," he said.

'Parking restrictions will be enforced'

In December 2002 the force announced its 50 wardens were being abandoned so it could channel its �1 million budget into meeting crime-fighting targets.

Mr Connolly said the council had been given 15 months' notice of the changes.

But seven of the 10 county districts called on to provide their own wardens had problems and were unable to begin patrols on time.

Davina Mansell of St Albans District Council, said: "Fifteen months wasn't enough.

"The legal work alone was tremendous and then we had to conduct a survey of every line and sign in St Albans.

"Our new parking enforcement scheme begins on October 4 and we think we've done rather well to get it up and running so quickly.