I'm prompted by PS's and AB's letters in today's Daily Telegraph motoring section to follow up my recent email re the Protection from Harassment Act. Generally, your readers will have already suffered the hassle caused by the stream of computer generated letters ratcheting up the pressure, before seeking your advice; writing to the Car Park Operators will seldom do any good (until a human being is forced to pay attention under the threat of criminal prosecution or civil action).

My point is that in very many cases the car parks are operated by the Cops as agents for e.g. one of the train operating companies, and therefore your contract is with the principal, not the agent. Study the terms and conditions posted in the car park, as they should disclose (I believe in law they must) if the CPO is agent for another party. If you have a proper case my advice is to talk to the organ grinder and not the monkey, i.e. ignore the CPO and write direct to the principal.

This will often dispose of the complaint straight away - provided you write in a reasonable and temperate tone. You may then have the pleasure of telling the CPO to stop wasting your and their time. (If like me one is retired and with time to spare, there can fun to be derived from stringing the thing along as the calibre of those employed by the CPOs is often lamentably low, but for a busy working person or an easily intimidated individual the pressure exerted by CPOs can cause great anxiety).