My time in the Army towards the end of the war taught me an attention to detail which proved vital later in running a business.

It is Brighton and Hove City Council's inability to grasp this fact which means it is up a gumtree.

The other evening, some friends drove me to the streets north of Western Road.

Upon parking, we found the signs at the side of the road declared parking charges applied until 8pm.

However, on going to the machine to buy a ticket, we found this said parking charges stop at 6pm.

This notice had evidently been installed on the machine recently because it listed the outrageous increase to 50p for half an hour.

I can well imagine a great deal of council time - which is our money - will be taken up in sorting out appeals by motorists who have been caught out by these bizarrely contradictory notices.

-Charles Goode, Hove