Michael Cranmer, of Rewlea Cross, Ashburton, writes:

When I read the story that Teignbridge made a deficit of £80,000 on on-street parking tickets in 2009 I did a double take and had to read it again to make sure I hadn't misunderstood. But, no, despite issuing 6,110 penalty notices (many to unfortunate souls like myself who stopped in my own town on a Sunday to pick up my MDA, and on returning to my car after no more than four minutes, found I'd been treated to a £35 fixed penalty) our council can't even raise enough money to pay the civil enforcement officers (I have another name for them – unprintable here).

Am I missing the point? In my world, parking in a sensible place which does not block, hinder, or endanger others, is just common sense.

I don't need an enforcement officer stalking me.

Why is our council employing such people to harass and aggravate ordinary motorists spending money in their local shops and not driving to out-of-town supermarkets?

Devon towns like Ashburton and Dawlish evolved from foot and horse and cart traffic.

Parking will always be a problem but 99 per cent of motorists are sensible law-abiding folk.

If there are no on-street parking spots available, there are car parks, but why should we have to pay in them to patronise our own town anyway?

Get rid of the chief executive officers, make car parks free and start spending our council tax sensibly.MORE LETTERS ONLINE