I was really sorry for the spy car drivers when I read Southend Council’s spymaster, Andrew Lewis, complain they had found the motorbike protesters “extremely intimidating”, even though the bikers weren’t breaking the law.

Mr Lewis forgets his army of spy car enforcers have been given a free rein to intimidate as many Southend motorists as possible.

In fact, the more they scare into paying fines, the better for the council and parking company Apcoa.

This includes a driver who stopped because of a puncture, one who stopped to help at a traffic incident, a car stopped to swap drivers, a driver who stopped to swap cars on driveway, and a driver who paused to allow her husband out at public toilets.

I do not support illegal parking, but neither do I support the intimidation of motorists who have clearly not parked their vehicles illegally, but who have simply been seen by the council as cash cows.

Hopefully, now the spy car enforcers realise they can no longer bully motorists they will act more honestly.

R Reynolds
Eastwood Road
Leigh