Here at Unity Recruitment, we were one of the first to hear of the news that the removal of traffic wardens from the streets of some towns and cities in Scotland would end in chaos on the roads and a loss of business in local shops.

That is the opinion of East Lothian Council leader Willie Innes, who believes a lack of parking attendants on the country's roads could spell disaster.

He told the Edinburgh Evening News there are several worries that councillors have about a proposal to withdraw a number of traffic wardens. Police Scotland has suggested it could remove all police-funded wardens from the streets in order to cut costs.

As a result, local authorities would have the option of paying for their own wardens or going without - a prospect Mr Innes indicated does not bear thinking about.

"One of the concerns is that with no traffic wardens to enforce time restrictions in parking bays, motorists will park all day, which greatly reduces turnover of vehicles. This could have significant negative impact on shops and businesses in town centres," he stated.

Some parts of Scotland - including Edinburgh - have already seen parking responsibilities transferred to the local council, but in others - such as Mid, East and West Lothian - the police are still in control. A withdrawal of their services would force authorities to up their spending on parking enforcement.

East Lothian Labour MSP Iain Gray is another to have aired his doubts over the issue, stating: "It would be a potential free-for-all with no parking for anyone unless they are there first thing in the morning."

Midlothian Council said it is currently engaged in talks with the police about the future of traffic wardens in the region.

Meanwhile, West Lothian Council is another body that has voted to oppose the possible withdrawal of traffic wardens from its streets. The authority even carried out a survey of community groups before deciding to campaign against the scheme.