I AM a little confused. If I park my car on some public house car park or certain areas in city centres, I am liable to see my vehicle clamped or removed. I then have to pay a tidy sum to retrieve it.

Why is it then that those travelling pariahs who have descended upon us appear to get away with it? Cannot the councils erect a sign on their land warning of the consequences of illegal parking?

These parasites seem to think themselves above the law. They might just reconsider their actions if their top-of-the-range motor cars were confiscated -though no doubt they would be awarded legal aid and the services of a lawyer with an eye for a fast buck to get them back.

I wonder what would happen to me if I parked a caravan on the well-treasured lawns outside Wyvern House and hurled abuse at staff and visitors.

I could do my washing using council facilities and then hang it to dry around the building, though I have too much self-respect and manners to use the gardens as a public convenience.

Maybe I am being harsh on the authorities, who may have done as much as possible within the law, but if these riff-raff want to put two fingers up to society, then society should return the compliment.

School children and teachers should not have to put up with the antics of these human locusts as reported last week.

Without wishing to appear cynical, it would be interesting to see the reaction if these itinerants deposited themselves on the playing fields of Eton or outside the school that the Lord Chancellor's children attended.

One can only speculate that some ancient law would be discovered quickly to eject them.

Interested of Over.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.