THERE is overwhelming evidence that the criminal justice system in this country is biased and is why police leave a bad taste in a lot of law abiding people’s mouths.

Here’s the proof. Travellers after being moved from Stanmer (The Argus, August 11) did, in full daylight under the noses of police, set up another illegal encampment at the grounds of the Lawn Memorial Cemetery, in Woodingdean... sacred grounds covered by a public space protection order.

Anyone breaching the order is subject to an on-the-spot fine of £100 and immediate eviction.

Police who visited the site did neither.

Now the other side of the coin. Police have just issued me with a £100 fixed penalty notice for crossing the white line at traffic signals.

This was as a result of the lights malfunctioning, turning from green to red in double quick time.

I didn’t pass on red or endanger anybody. The camera perched on top of the signal recorded my speed as I crossed the “winning” line as being a breakneck 19mph, proof I was not racing to beat the lights.

Before even knowing I had been captured on camera, or was going to get my collar felt, I telephoned West Sussex Council and Telent (their traffic engineer) to tell them the lights had gone red green red in quick succession.

I was told by Telent that some other person had emailed to report the same lights had acted peculiarly and was told signals shouldn’t go wrong but do occasionally.

I was also told Telent had given the person emailing a fault number. There can be no argument that through no fault of my own I did violate the letter of the law but certainly not the spirit of the law.

Violation was through powers beyond my control rather than a conscious infringement of the rules.

I tried discussing my defence with a civilian masquerading as the chief superintendent of the Sussex Safer Roads Unit, but to no avail.

I was given the choice of a fixed penalty or the offer of a safety awareness course.

To be charitable I chose the former and donated the latter to police whom it seems to me are more in need of road safety awareness than me. Plus my bookmaker won’t be best pleased either knowing police have relieved me of a hundred quid that should be theirs.

Dave Bonwick,

Graham Crescent, Portslade