Parking attendants will receive police protection to curb the number of violent attacks on them.

New figures revealed to The Argus show Brighton and Hove's attendants have fallen victim to more than 100 serious attacks in a year.

Almost 200 less serious assaults, including threats and verbal abuse, were recorded in the year to April 2006.

From this week, attendants will be able to call on police officers to patrol high-risk areas of the city with them.

They will also be issued with spit kits so saliva from spitting assailants can be swabbed and analysed.

In the past attendants have reported being hit, sworn at, spat at, and having food thrown at them as they monitor the city's streets.

Since last April, 101 of the most serious "code red" attacks and 182 "code yellow" assaults were reported.

In the previous year, attendants reported 77 "code red" attacks and 183 "code yellow" incidents.

Brighton and Hove has become one of the first places in the country to roll out the Partnership Plus scheme which has already proved successful in Westminster, London, and Waltham Forest, Essex.

The partnership between Brighton and Hove City Council, Sussex Police and NCP will see police officers investigate assaults or abuse and prosecute offenders.

In return attendants will be trained to act as extra sets of eyes and ears for the police, reporting street crime.

Ian Kavanagh, on-street director of NCP, said: "We already have terrific support from the police but this agreement specifies several useful ways we can help each other.

"It will enable us to further reduce the level of assaults and abuse our parking wardens receive while carrying out their duties and we hope that we will be able to give something back to the police by providing more formal support in terms of observing and recording street crime and disorder.

"We hope the police in Brighton and Hove will come to see the parking attendants as able and willing to help them."

Chief Superintendent Jeremy Paine said: "Parking attendants in particular are vulnerable to assaults from frustrated drivers and those who have drunk too much and we want to do all we can to keep them safe, along with everyone else.

"Parking attendants have the right to go about their business without being subjected to such attacks."

Environment committee chairman Coun Gill Mitchell said: "Attendants have played a big part in public safety initiatives where they have been working jointly with the police and the DVLA to rid our streets of abandoned, untaxed and illegally parked vehicles.

"Their actions also help to keep the roads running more freely. They deal with vehicles parked in disabled bays and at bus stops, freeing up the space for other road users."