THEY'VE got a new name, new powers and they're coming to a street near you.

A major overhaul of the parking fine system is about to give civil enforcement officers, formerly known as traffic wardens and parking attendants, tougher powers to deal with inconsiderate motorists.

From Monday, March 31, CEOs will be able to issue two levels of fines depending on the seriousness of the offence, send fines through the post to motorists who drive away and issue tickets to drivers who stop on or near crossings.

And the new act also opens the way for local councils to follow London's lead and introduce cameras at junctions to catch even more offenders.

Gerry Bolland, parking services manager at Bournemouth council, said: "This is a major step change in the work we do. At long last we have got the legislation that we should really have had seven or eight years ago."

Under the Traffic Management Act, the flat-rate £60 parking fine will be replaced with a two-tier penalty system.

That means that drivers who overstay their parking ticket can expect a £50 fine, while anyone caught illegally parking in a disabled bay, on double yellow lines or blocking junctions or crossings will get a £70 fine. Both fines will be halved if paid within a fortnight.

There will also be two circumstances in which fines can be issued through the post - if motorists drive off after a CEO has started to issue a fine and if a CEO considers his personal safety is at risk.

Mr Bolland warned motorists CEOs would be able to use their handheld equipment to record conversations.

"I've absolutely no qualms about them recording what is said to them," he said. "We have had some trials with that and it seems like something we can practically do.

He said the council would continue to target irresponsible motorists in a "random manner" but added: "Where we have got areas where there's a concentration of problems, I can see those areas going to camera enforcement.

"I would not even rule out the use of Automatic Number Plate Recognition outside schools."

But while council officers welcome the new powers, they are not expecting any increase in the amount of money raised by parking fines.

Robert Lawton, cabinet member with responsibility for transport and the environment, said: "Parking enforcement is financially neutral. Money raised from parking fines goes back into enforcement and we cannot touch any excess money, if there is any."