Minister for Infrastructure Tim Crookall has confirmed that the Isle of Man only has five ‘part time parking officers’.

Asked how often the parking system was reviewed by the Department of Infrastructure during Tuesday’s sitting of the House of Keys, Mr Crookall replied: ‘Parking enforcement during evenings and weekends is monitored and reviewed on an ongoing basis rather than any specific intervals.

‘The busier town centres and the issues they attract are generally prioritised ahead of any quieter residential areas. Should a significant issue arise, the department will consider its response in order to deal with it.’

David Ashford, MHK for Douglas North, put forward the question of whether Mr Crookall thought the parking system on the island was adequate, to which he replied: ‘It’s probably never adequate.

‘We have five full time equivalents, which is basically five temporary part time workers that cover the whole island.

A lot of the issues seem to happen in the evenings and weekends when people come home from work.

‘Parking is a premium in certain places, and we all know that.

‘Where we haven’t got the officers to deal with issues, the parking controllers can.

‘We do work with the police, who are very good to respond and help us out, especially in really tight areas.

'We are always happy to work with them, as we have done with some recent issues.

‘I don’t have a figure for how often they help us, but I can say it’s all around the island.’