Good on Dave Sutton (Letters, December 1) for threatening court action against Brighton and Hove City Council for the way his car parking grievance is being dealt with.

But the rest of us who feel we have been given a ticket unnecessarily may not need to go to such extremes.

I have just appealed in writing to the council against the £30 fine I was given for leaving my car outside a bank for three minutes while I did my business banking. I urge everybody who thinks they have been unreasonably treated to do the same.

The good news is that the fine is not increased while the appeal is being considered.

Already, according to the council, there are 5,000 appeals in the pipeline and it is taking about eight weeks to process each new appeal.

So, if you think you're being ripped off, get that appeal letter in the post. This would create such a logjam that the council would have to reconsider its policy. It took massive non-co-operation, remember, to get rid of the poll tax.

Alison Hermitage, head councillor for transport, said (Letters, December 1) that a major purpose of the new arrangements was to deter "dangerous and inconsiderate parking".

That's fine but it looks to me as if another purpose is to make a profit for National Car Parks - would the company have accepted the contract without such a guarantee? - and for the council.

-Paul Moorman, East Drive, Brighton