Brighton and Hove residents would do well to reflect on the situation described by John Floate of Brighton Fire Alarms (The Argus, August 20): "If we have several calls during the day, we have to keep going down to the town hall to get a waiver for each street."

Well, I find it hard to believe there are many - any? - cities in Europe where traders can only go to do a job after reporting, each time, to the local town hall for permission.

If I was subjected to such a regime, I would either seek asylum somewhere else or join the Resistance.

If residents do not bring about regime change at the next local elections, they may well find Brighton and Hove rapidly becomes the place to be without builders, plumbers, decorators, carpet layers, side street car repairers and fire alarm specialists.

-Trevor Pateman, Dolphin Court, Hove