I write with anger regarding the recent 50 per cent increase in day parking charges at Westmoreland car park, in Bromley.

I do not necessarily want, or need, an explanation as there can be no justified reason, as I see it, for such an astronomical increase from £4 to £6 a day.

I see this to be pure greed by Bromley Council which totally disregards those who sometimes have to rely on their cars for work or social purposes. People like myself who are hourly paid cannot afford such an extortionate increase as our wages have certainly not increased by a half or even a quarter of the percentage rate now in force.

We can't afford to hand over the first hour of our hard labour to Bromley Council especially in the light of the high council taxes we already pay to the borough which accounts for a major outlay each month.

Prior to this increase, I was cross at the lack of notices at pay stations and it was by chance I found out about the new charges before the enforcement date, November 5.

The car park is used practically to full capacity every day and in light of the recent cost cuts measures (introducing pay stations instead of manual labour) I cannot accept this 50 per cent increase.

It would appear it is the worker and daily car park user who have been stung and not the casual shopper.

Why discriminate? Why tax the worker even more when we are the ones subsidising the non-workers? Why does the council continuously have licence to rob us of our hard-earned income without justification or any positive improvement to the poor services it struggles to provide.

Jane Sayer

Allenby Road

Biggin Hill

November 15, 2001 11:57