ENOUGH is enough! I have reached the end of my tether after reading the continued hate campaign and vicious assault of Bolton's parking attendants with information that is incorrect misguided, misquoted and misunderstood!

A recent news feature was followed by several letters, only one of which contained wholly accurate information, from Mr Malcolm Bristow, who advised people holding disabled badges to read and familiarise themselves with the conditions of use of the parking regulations relating to disabled badge holders if they wish to avoid receiving a parking ticket. Well done Mr Bristow, at last someone who can see the other side of this issue!

You may think its petty that if a disabled badge is not clearly on display in a car, e.g. it is placed upside down, that a parking ticket should be issued. But, let's face it, if you had a bus pass but refused to show it to the bus driver, would it be as unfair for the bus driver to make you pay to board the bus?

I apologise to all the holders of disabled badges who use them correctly if this seems to be an attack on all disabled badge holders; it isn't, I am only trying to put the record straight.

I am the wife of one of those parking attendants who is sick and tired of picking up the paper to find attendants, who do a fantastic job for a pittance of a wage (not the £15000 or £16000 a year that has been quoted), being slated.

My husband and all the attendants are constantly the victims of both physical and verbal abuse from members of the public, and not always people who have been issued with a ticket, a lot of the abuse comes from passers-by.

I appreciate mistakes can be made, and yes tickets are, on occasion, issued incorrectly. They are only human. But that is why there is an appeal system in operation.

People need to understand that the attendants and APCOA are the council's private sector contractor and are working in partnership operating to the council Guidelines. They are not over-zealous, they do not swoop, they do not wait by cars, they are not over enthusiastic, they do not prowl, they are just doing their job.

People also need to be aware of all sides of the story. Attendants also work above and beyond the call of duty. One attendant helped an injured driver following a traffic accident, until paramedics arrived and another had to call the Police after finding a toddler and baby left in a car, parked on a car park in town. The attendants stayed by the car for 10 minutes, waiting for the owner to return.

My husband and all the attendants go out every day to do their jobs and should not have to be subjected to this. I now worry for his safety and the question "Had a good day at work love?" has not been asked in our house for some time. It's more a case of "I'm glad you're home, and I'm glad your safe."

Please give them a break!

Wife of a parking attendant

(Name and address supplied)