I was deeply saddened to read of paralysed John Oliver's loss of his scooter and Bromley Council's failure to allow him to view CCTV evidence of this callous theft.

I worked as a security officer in the surveillance room for pioneering Bournemouth Council in the late 1980s when civic CCTV was first born in the UK.

After a great deal of initial talk about Big Brother and civil liberties the rate-paying locals quickly warmed to the fact that these myriads of powerful cameras seemed to make them feel safer.

Cameras usually paid for themselves within seven to eight months through a reduction in theft and vandalism along the seven miles of beach front and in the parks and gardens they operated in.

The criminal element quickly caught up with this new technology.

Today's youth phenomenon of the long peaked baseball cap worn in conjunction with the hooded top (hoodies) is a very effective countermeasure, so what purpose can a reduced potency CCTV system serve?

I can't help thinking that if the criminals who robbed poor Mr Oliver had driven his scooter into the bus lane on Penge High Street, Bromley Council would have been on the case in a nano second!

Poor Mr Oliver, as the registered keeper of this vehicle would certainly be facing a £100 fine from our caring borough (out-sourced to some unethical collections agency no doubt) which would grow exponentially with his every attempt to refute its validity.

Testimony from neighbours who are fined for heinous offences like clipping the end of bus lanes to safely turn left and News Shopper stories about the 2,000 Welling residents fleeced by bus lane fines from Bexley Council lead me to sensibly conclude that the only time these civic cameras are now actively being monitored is in the pursuit of milking £100 fines from heinous bus lane violaters.

The councils newest cash-cow.

Having an experienced eye for these things, it is also heartbreaking for me to witness that several beautiful trees were chopped down across the street from the Widmore Road bus lane, why? When I called Bromley Council immediately after the event I was informed that they were "diseased" yet after laying low for over a year they install a bus lane camera in a position that would previously have had its view of the bus lane obscured by the foliage from these same, now deceased "diseased" trees!

Is this a coincidence? Am I being too cynical? Or has Big Brother stopped watching over you and started decimating beautiful trees in order to fleece you?

Mr S J Ruttledge, The Glade, Bickley