Sir.-I write with regard to plans by the council to reduce car parking in the town.

Have any of the councillors tried to find a parking space in the middle of the day in any of the car parks?

All I can say is 'Give it a try and then tell us that we don't need all the car parks around the town'.

Also, with regard to people parking anywhere to avoid paying for car parking - perhaps the traffic wardens should pay a few visits to the disabled car parking area beside The Anvil, near to Boots, where there are three or four disabled parking spaces and a drop-off point for Dial-a-Ride.

In recent weeks, I have been waiting there for my husband to pick me up and have noticed a lot of cars parking there and then the drivers and passengers going off to the shops.

However, I have never seen a traffic warden anywhere near the place, so these people are getting away with not paying, when the rest of us have to pay the high parking charges, myself included.

Just what is it with people who appear to be too tight-fisted to pay for parking and will risk being clamped or given tickets, just to save a few bob, and who could end up with a lot more to pay out if they are caught?

As one of the correspondents wrote in last Friday's Gazette, if they don't want to pay the charges, they can use the bus or walk in - or, like the rest of us, pay to use the many car parks that we are lucky to have around the town.

Then, when all the car parks are full, the council will have no excuse to close any of them as they will see that they are all required.

-Mrs Heather Roche, Bernstein Road, Brighton Hill, Basingstoke.