Much has already been written about the sorry saga of the public car parks in both Westbury and Warminster, but the latest episode in this ongoing catastrophe involves not our elected representatives going against the wishes of the public, but the paid administrators at West Wiltshire District Council being, seemingly, incapable of administrating the system which they have had foisted upon them.

As a good, law abiding citizen, who lives close to, and uses, the Warminster Road car park in Westbury, I went to the council offices in Trowbridge at the end of March with cheque for £112 to purchase, albeit grudgingly, a Residents Parking Permit.

I filled in the form clearly stating the Warminster Road car park in Westbury was where I wished to park, so was surprised to be issued with a permit for a Warminster Road car park in Warminster.

I queried this with the lady who issued it. After showing a little puzzlement, she took my new permit away and returned with one for Westbury instead.

With permit firmly and clearly attached to windscreen, I proceeded to exercise my legal right to park. Twenty-two days of April passed without incident, but on the twenty-third day, I arrived at my car to find a plastic bag jammed under my windscreen wiper, just inches from where my permit was displayed.

The plastic bag contained an Excess Charge Notice from West Wiltshire District Council, stating that I had been parked for more than two hours, and that the privilege would cost me a further £40, or less if I paid up speedily.

I immediately took the plastic bag and its contents to the council offices in Trowbridge.

The whole appeal procedure has to be entered into, once a ticket has been issued. I wonder how many tickets get made out to the wrong person, with the wrong registration number? If the attendant can't see a parking permit on a windscreen, how can they be relied upon to read a number plate correctly?

I have now received a letter from the car parking administrator at the council which might be an apology and might be letting me off the excess charge; but I can't be sure.

Nick Bullen,

Warminster Road,

Westbury.