Sir, - Does Safeway in Darlington have a death wish? Like Brian Blackburn (D&S letters, Dec 5) I also found a penalty notification attached to my windscreen after a visit to this supermarket and, like him, naively assumed that the store manager would rescind the charge.

I was surprised to discover that head office has removed any such discretion from the local management.

Safeway appear to have been seduced by the blandishments of CP Plus who proudly boast on their website (www.cp-plus.co.uk) to be "experts in tailoring parking solutions to provide optimum benefits for you and your customers".

How does emptying the car-park benefit Safeway? How do threats of pursuit through the courts benefit customers? Safeway presumably believe that they can hide behind their agents and pretend that these heavy-handed tactics are nothing to do with them.

I shall continue to use the car-park for visits to Darlington town centre but in order to be sure of leaving before two hours have elapsed, I shall be unable to avail myself of the shopping facilities provided by this store.

ANDREW SWIFT

Forcett,

Richmond.