I help manage a small independent shop that has been trading for some thirty years it is in a small parade of shops in a larger shopping area. There is parking to the rear of the shops each having its own official area but in general everyone parks where ever with in reason and there have never been any major arguments. Everything was fine until the end of last week when two thugs turned up and told my boss that they where taking over parking enforcement behind the shops and did he want to participate (later when relating the story to me he told me how intimidated he had felt). After talking to his landlord he decided not to join the scheme, so we now have the situation where all but one shop has parking enforcement. The next day when the signage went up our collective jaws hit the floor at the release fee of £465. Yes, four hundred and sixty five pounds Sterling. And before you think the shops get a cut, they actually pay the enforcement company a fee as well. How can this be legal? There must be a ceiling to the charges these outfits can extort. They seem to be running a modern day protection racket that is condoned by government.