LETTER - I would like to inform anyone using any of the pay-and-display machines in the car parks and streets of Shrewsbury and beyond of a scam that was played on me on Thursday afternoon in the Barker Street car park.

As I approached the pay machine to buy my ticket I heard the repetitive sound of the coin return mechanism operating and, on arriving at the machine, the woman who had hastily removed the said returned coins then moved away from the machine to, or so she said, “get another 10p coin”.

I then, on reading the amount required for my ticket, inserted £1.20 and duly obtained my ticket. The woman then returned and aggressively demanded the £1.10 she claimed she had left in the machine.

I pointed out to her that I had heard her return the unused monies and I had paid in full for my ticket whereupon she tried to con me into giving her £1 saying she had no money, and claiming she was late for a meeting, and calling me various names in order to bully me into parting with my money.

On return to the car park I rang the SABC helpline and explained what had happened and was assured that the car park staff would be made aware of this con trick and hopefully deter the thief from trying it again.

It is a sorry world we live in that now I will be even more cynical of persons in genuine distress and less likely to offer my help due to the evil lies and deceit of this scam artist.

The amount of money is not the issue; it is the principle or rather the lack of principles demonstrated by this crook.

Pay-and-display users beware.

Name and address supplied