The Civil Enforcement Officers (CEO) handbook has been devised after general consultation with London boroughs to provide a standard approach to issuing Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) across London. Parking contraventions are dealt with by issuing a Penalty Charge Notice and, in appropriate circumstances, by clamping or removing the vehicle to a pound.
The handbook provides guidance which has general relevance throughout London. It is accepted that there will be local variations in policy and these will be a matter for each borough. CEOs will be instructed on how to deal with local variations.
The handbook is intended as a reference document for use on-street or in the office. It describes the contraventions, their codes and details of information to be recorded in each case in order to prove that the contravention took place.
Exemptions and when loading or unloading is permitted are dealt with. Illustrations of the signs and markings needed to support the issue of a PCN are also given. The handbook refers to all types of parking restrictions, for example yellow lines, permit parking, meter parking, free parking places, loading places, bus stop clearways and doctors’ bays. Some boroughs may have all or most of these restrictions; others may only have a few types of restriction.