Civil enforcement officers in Merton will be equipped with body cameras from today in an attempt to reduce abusive behaviour towards them.

Motorists breaking parking rules are the chief culprits for acting aggressively towards the officers, Merton Council said.

The £28,000 initiative will allow aggressive behaviour to be recorded and used as evidence, the council said.

Merton’s cabinet member for environmental cleanliness and parking, Councillor Judy Saunders, said: "Last year there were nine incidents where threatening behaviour was shown towards members of our parking staff and they could not be escalated because of a lack of evidence.

"With the introduction of body cameras we will now be able to protect our civil enforcement officers and push for maximum prosecution when these incidents occur."

The body cameras will only be used in the event of confrontation and officers will be encouraged to give a verbal warning before they start recording, the council said.

Videos not used for investigation purposes will be deleted within five working days.

Hammersmith and Fulham, Hillingdon, and Tower Hamlets have all already started using the equipment.

Since introducing the body cameras, all three boroughs have reported a decrease in hostile behaviour.

In June it was announced that the majority of uniformed police officers will be wearing the same cameras by the end of March 2016.

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