DO you want the good news or the bad news?

The good news is Gwent will no longer have traffic wardens after the end of March.

But the bad news is drivers won’t be able to flout parking rules, because police officers and community support officers who have more powers will be taking on their role.

Gwent Police said it is ditching the posts from March 31 as part of a spending review.

Their work will be done by other staff such as constables and community support officers.

There are three officers in Blaenau Gwent, four in Caerphilly, two in Monmouthshire, three in Newport and one in Torfaen.

Linda Sweet, Unison Gwent Police branch secretary, said she did not welcome the loss of any police staff post and hoped the wardens could be found other jobs, but said the opportunities were few.

“The tasks of these traffic wardens will now fall to other people within the force, that may be community support officers, it could fall to neighbourhood police,” she said.

“Police officers should be doing the duties of warranted officers.”

Speaking at a Newport full council meeting Newport Superintendent Dave Johnson said the traffic role has now been subsumed into the role of community support officers.

He said community support officers have all the powers wardens had and “additional powers as well.”

“They are more flexible, more adaptable then traffic wardens are,” he added.

A Gwent police spokeswoman said the 13 traffic wardens have been placed on the force’s redeployment list to apply and fill other vacancies in the force, and some have already been successful.

“We recognise the valuable service all the traffic wardens have given to Gwent Police,” a spokeswoman said.