MUCH has been written about the threatened residents' parking scam' in Bowerham and Primrose areas and I wish to add a few points.

We had a similar scheme foisted on us over four years ago. Naturally, hard working people who already pay income, motor, and community taxes resented having to pay £25 per annum to park near home and it doesn't stop there.

For the dubious privilege of paying this insidious invidious tax, there are no benefits and no guarantee residents can park anywhere at all at the end of the working day. Our street is virtually empty from 9am to 5pm but that is no help at night.

Nor does it alter the fact some drivers take up more space than they need due to lack of consideration or because they don't have the confidence or driving skill to manoeuvre a car into a small space.

We also have to buy visitors' permits in multiples of two at £2 a time, meaning we have to pay for friends, family, workmen or anyone else visiting. If one lost due to someone unwittingly driving off with one, it leaves you in a predicament.

Some of the old style traffic wardens were ruthless, especially some of the women. They doled out fixed penalties like sweeties, People have had fines in the seconds its taken to return a visitors' card to the resident.

Few would object to paying a fine if in the wrong, but when people have paid and paid again, it becomes a violation. These are only a few of the many problems.

One lady born and bred here now finds friends and family hardly ever visit because of the nuisance of it all. It ends up costing much more than £25 a year.

L R Lowerson, Lancaster.