FOLLOWING the BEN's Opinion (Thursday, July 12) I feel I must reply regarding the statement about the lowering of parking fees leading to all the spaces being taken up by "town centre workers".

I am one of those workers who park and have done for a number of years in one of the town centre facilities and have paid the price for the privilege.

I pay £506 a year to use the car park along with many of my co-workers. This money is guaranteed to be paid, whereas you cannot say the same for the shoppers who may (or may not! ) travel to Bolton to shop. I realise that there are free spaces in the town centre but as other articles in your paper have highlighted, parking in these areas can lead to car break-ins, something I do not wish to find on returning to my vehicle after a day's work.

On the subject of parking wardens in the town centre (Karen's Column, July 13), part of their remit appears to be to encourage vehicles to be removed from alongside Bow Street by booking or moving on people who are waiting to collect the town centre workers after a hard day's toil, from a pick-up point that has been used for many years. I cannot see what traffic chaos, frustration or annoyance these people are causing to Bolton visitors.

By the time I and other workers are leaving the town centre, the visitors have long gone! I for one would gladly welcome lower car parking fees in Bolton but, just remember, without the town centre workers there would be no town centre.

Gillian Todd,

Harwood, Bolton