Britain’s much abused and derided parking police, known as traffic wardens, have a new weapon in their struggle with irate car drivers: DNA evidence.
British car-parking firm NCP is to issue DNA “spit kits” to its staff after a man who spat at a traffic warden pleaded guilty to assault when his saliva was identified.
Dennis Samms, 42, of Manchester in northwest England, will be sentenced on Thursday.
“This is the first successful prosecution in Britain of the assault of a traffic warden due to DNA evidence,” a spokesman for NCP, the company that employed the traffic warden, said.
“The DNA evidence did not come out in court, but that is because the man knew he was guilty.”
NCP, which manages off-street parking for various local authorities, supplying traffic warden and vehicle-clamping services, began a trial of the “spit kit” in March and now plans to make the kit more widely available to its wardens.
“Nobody should have to be spat at while they go about their work. The ‘spit kit’ will be a powerful deterrent against the small minority who think they can spit at traffic wardens,” said the spokesman.
