THE countdown is now on with just days before a new parking fine system is launched to punish law-breaking motorists.

From Monday, civil enforcement officers, formerly known as traffic wardens and parking attendants, will have greater powers.

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.

The Traffic Management Act also opens the way for local councils to follow London's lead and introduce cameras at junctions to catch even more inconsiderate motorists.

Under the new system the flat-rate £60 parking fine will be replaced with a two-tier penalty system.

That means that drivers who over-stay 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.

Cllr Robert Lawton, Bournemouth council cabinet member with responsibility for transport and the environment, insisted that the changes to parking enforcement were not "a revenue-raising exercise."

He said: "Parking rules are there to ease congestion, reduce the number of accidents on the roads and keep traffic moving in a safe and efficient way through the borough."

Cllr Mike White, portfolio holder for transport and the local economy at Borough of Poole, said the idea was to make the system fairer. He said Poole was forecasting a loss of between £12,500 and £23,500 every year because most parking offences in the borough were at the lower end of the scale.

"We will have to recover that money elsewhere," he added.

"The most obvious way would be through parking charges."