Every single complaint made against private parking enforcement officers in a Midlands borough has been dismissed by the local authority, an investigation has revealed.
Zero complaints upheld despite allegations
Information released under the Freedom of Information Act shows that Dudley Council did not uphold any of the 22 complaints it received about its contracted parking wardens over a 14-month period. The complaints, logged between 1 October 2024 and 30 November 2025, included serious allegations of bad behaviour.
Of the total, 16 complaints specifically concerned the conduct of officers, with claims of rudeness and swearing. A further six complaints were made about the wardens themselves parking in contravention of regulations while carrying out their enforcement duties.
The council stated that a lack of sufficient evidence from complainants was the reason for not upholding any of the cases. However, the authority confirmed that in some instances, officers were given extra training and placed on Personal Improvement Plans.
Councillor's personal experience of 'aggressive' behaviour
The issue was brought into the public eye in October 2025 by Dudley councillor and Labour MP for Stourbridge, Cat Eccles. Speaking during a council meeting, Cllr Eccles shared her own direct experience of the wardens' conduct.
"They park illegally themselves, setting a poor example," she stated. "They often swear and belittle people when they are speaking to them. I have even experienced this myself when they did not realise I was an elected member."
She emphasised that while the wardens are contractors supplied by Marston Group Ltd, they still represent the council and must uphold its standards. Marston Group provides officers to more than 60 councils across the UK.
Geographic spread and council response
The area with the highest number of complaints was Stourbridge, which generated four grievances about officer behaviour. Both Brierley Hill and Dudley town centre followed closely, each contributing three complaints.
In response to the concerns raised, the council's cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, Cllr Simon Phipps, said he was unaware of the volume of incidents and agreed that such behaviour was unacceptable. Wardens were subsequently instructed to only park illegally in exceptional circumstances.
Has the situation improved?
Following the implementation of the new parking rules for wardens and the additional training, Cllr Eccles reported a notable drop in public complaints. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that she had not received any further reports from residents.
"Prior to this some were definitely too aggressive," she acknowledged, "but it would appear they've been brought in line now. Hopefully whatever has been done has worked."
The council's parking enforcement has been managed by the private contractor Marston Group Ltd since October 2024. The recent data suggests that while complaints were made, the council's internal processes required tangible evidence to formally uphold them, leading to the dismissal of all cases in this period.
