'Legalised mugging' in Rotherham town centre

Sir -  I wonder if this council has ever seriously considered how their civil enforcement officers' approach to people in the town centre may be to blame for the lack of consumers visiting, when the council is trying so hard to rejuvenate it

My son was on his way to work at a local hospital on Friday, August 12. He had put out a cigarette and had thrown it towards the bin.

He openly admitted that it had missed the bin and was picking it up when he was approached by a civil enforcement officer. The officer involved informed my son that a £50 on the spot fine for littering was appropriate.

He was also told that if he did not pay there and then, he would have to pay £75 at a later date. As my son is a law abiding citizen he paid his fine without arguing. My son is an apprenticeship student that works hard for £100 a week, and these people chose to relieve him of half of his weekly wage! This cannot be right.

I would expect a warning at first not a hefty fine. He would have been better off being arrested and taken to court and offering £1 per week.

Due to this, my friends and family will no longer visit the town centre. If everybody were to do this, business in this area would suffer.

This is a message to everyone that the legalised mugging of young people by civil enforcement officers cannot help the regeneration programme that the council are so busy throwing money at nor should it be tolerated as it would seem that the council have to provide no evidence other than the word of their own operatives!

Good luck RMBC it looks like you're going to need it!

Diane Allender, address supplied.