YOU would imagine that paying to park in an official town centre car park would give you peace of mind while you shopped to your heart's content.

Wrong!

I couldn't believe my eyes today when I parked in the Market car park and saw not one, but two predatory traffic wardens prowling around.

It seems that us law-abiding parkers are easy prey for this new breed of ruthless wardens.

What crime could these people be committing?

I watched with disbelief as a traffic warden issued a ticket to some poor soul who had parked his white van slightly over the white lines.

He wasn't causing any problem - there were cars parked on either side without any difficulties.

This driver would be paying his fee on leaving the car park - up to £5.50 for four hours or more - quite a sizeable sum.

In actual fact, he would have been better off parking on double yellow lines outside Wetherspoons, for at the same time two drivers were happily enjoying fee free parking there without a care in the world.

I'd love to see one of these traffic wardens' job descriptions: "Ignore drivers parked on double yellow lines - you'll only manage to nab one or two.

"No, bigger fish to fry can be found in the many car parks in Warrington.

"The drivers will think they're safe, so you'll have plenty of time to get in there and issue tickets.

"You'll earn extra brownie points if you can fine old ladies and disabled drivers displaying badges - they'll be too frightened not to pay so they'll cough up."

And I'm not kidding.

My 76-year-old mother-in-law was fined for parking outside the white lines in a free car park in Lymm and the Guardian's elderly Community Desk volunteer Ida, was fined for parking on Bold Street Street despite displaying her blue badge.

Both women have paid their fines - naturally - they are law-abiding residents of this town.

Is this just another type of council tax?