SIR — I witnessed a disturbing incident the other day when an elderly man delivering to a charity shop in The Parade in Minehead was booked by a Civil Enforcement Officer (CEO) for parking on the taxi rank on which there were only two cabs at the time.

He was only a few moments but by the time he returned he was being ticketed.

Then I heard of a couple returning heavy crockery to store after a community event. They too were only parked for a few minutes but were booked.

The rules for loading and unloading are far from clear for the ordinary motorist. It seems to me that in both these cases a little advice was all that was needed – not a hefty fine.

We do need to clamp down on drivers who flagrantly disregard parking restrictions but fining ordinary, responsible people for minor transgressions is not what we expect from public servants.

West Somerset has a high level of elderly residents alongside visiting shoppers and tourists. We need parking wardens who help, advise and keep traffic moving by giving practical help and using common sense.

We seem to be missing a golden opportunity. All it needs is a slight change to the CEO job description and the role could become an integral part of the warm welcome we extend to visitors and the service we give to residents.

J A S Dixon,

Periton Road,

Minehead.