SIR – Interesting to read the furore about the amounts of money being raised by local authorities.

Last month, having collected a death certificate from County Hall for my recently deceased mother, I went into the city to sort out something about her funeral.

Because of the neverending roadworks, it was obvious to me I would be late for my appointments so I parked on the 45-minute zone at 15.06 opposite Sansome Walk swimming baths.

As I parked, the traffic warden was walking along noting the vehicle numbers.

Due to various delays, including being clipped by a car at the St Nicholas Street junction traffic lights and verbally abused by a drunken person in the Cornmarket, I returned eight minutes late to find – yes, you’ve guessed it, a parking ticket.

The implication is therefore that this particular warden can only have a circuit that takes 45-50 minutes to walk in a determined effort to maximise revenue.

Doubtless he is obliged to write a given number of tickets and his performance monitored accordingly – it would be naive to think otherwise.

All that has happened is that the target hit rate has been raised.

The pathetic excuses offered by the council to justify their over-zealous money-raising activities are just that – pathetic.

It is against the law to use parking fines as a means of revenue but they are clearly doing just that.

This isn’t about easing traffic flow.

On the day I parked, the road I was in was closed to through-traffic because of the roadworks all along Sansome Walk down to Lowesmoor.

In another, more enlightened time, such activity led to parking restrictions being suspended.

So, no thanks to our council for so assiduously upholding law and order in our city by ensuring that all of us motorists who transgress in any way, no matter how minor or trivial, feel the full weight of both their wrath and greed. And no thanks for upholding the human rights of the random drunks to abuse unsuspecting passers-by.

TIM PALMER

Worcester