POLICE community officers are being given parking powers to deal with congestion.

The 17 officers are being trained up to issue £30 fines and £60 fines with three penalty points for the most serious cases.

They should be on the streets by December 2.

Cheshire Police has decided to train up all 79 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), an option the government gives each force.

A police spokesman said: "This is a national trend.

"We have looked at what was the result in other forces and what has been achieved.

"The focus for PCSOs is reassurance and problem solving for community issues.

"One of the problems that features quite prominently with local communities is traffic issues.

"In the past PCSOs have only been able to deal with the problem by getting a police officer to help.

"The new power will give them the direct link to help with the community,

"But their main focus will still be on reassurance and problem solving."

Parking issues have cropped up all over town - around Honiton Way and Greystone Road in Penketh, by Birchwood Primary School, in Davies Way and Pepper Street on Lymm, in Knutsford Road in Grappenhall, and London Road in Stockton Heath.

The PCSOs will use police intelligence to target hot spots.

The borough council is introducing its own parking wardens in the next few months and after that the PCSOs will only deal with exceptional parking issues.

"They will deal with more serious offences, such as somebody parking on a pelican crossing, where lives are being put in danger," said a police spokesman.