An extract from a day in the life of a central Swindon resident:

Friday December 5, 2003: Feeling poorly, must be going down with a cold or the flu. Arrived home at 7.15pm, no parking spaces on the left hand side of Dryden Street, no spaces in Deacon Street or Whitehead Street either. Only spaces available on the right hand side of Dryden Street, in a one-hour parking box, that's ok for tonight, as it is now after 6pm and the restriction states until 6pm. Achoo! damn cold, early night for me, I suppose. Cough and splutter all night. Blah!

Saturday December 6, 2003. 7.30am, feel rough. Drag myself out of bed at 7.50am, feel ill but I will have to move my car, wardens will be round soon and they will definitely give me a ticket if they find me on the right instead of the left hand side of the road, even though I am a resident and I am displaying a permit. No difference to them as I am on the wrong side of the street. I can't afford another fine; I have my mortgage and also my bills to pay not forgetting my council tax payment. Great, a space on the left yippee I've found a space.

9.15am take my son to Croft sports centre, football training, come home, park OK, back to bed, still feel ill . . . achoo! Return to collect him at 11.15am, arrive back to find all spaces have gone again, park in a one hour restricted area again. 12.10pm have to move the car, only space available is in a one hour restriction in Whitehead Street. Have to park there but return at 1.10pm to move my car. Still feel ill. This time I find a space ok . . . thank goodness! Only taken just over two hours this weekend, last Saturday I moved my car four times, using unnecessary petrol and adding unnecessary fumes/pollution to the air. Still not to worry . . . have no option, normal life for us residents because the council won't do anything to change the parking restrictions in our street or help local resident taxpayers in the central Swindon area.

Perhaps we could nominate Swindon Council for the idiotic rules and regulations of the year award.

Well-done Swindon Council, changing the lives of local residents!

(Mr) R D ELLERY

Dryden Street