Oxfordshire County Council dishes out £70 penalty charge notices even if you correctly display a parking coupon.

All you have to do is forget to scratch off just one of the five panels showing the date, hour of arrival, minute of arrival, month and year – an easy mistake.

I know because this happened to me last Saturday.

Punishing this error with an immediate fine implies that the driver intended to deceive, by re-using the coupon.

This policy is offensive and dishonourable, particularly in view of the fact that the council has the means to identify such abuse.

Each parking coupon has a unique serial number printed on the front.

If a parking enforcement officer finds an incorrectly completed coupon, they can record this number.

Cross-checking these against other incorrectly completed coupons, thereafter, would expose illicit re-use of parking coupons.

What a pity that Oxford’s reputation for integrity and brains does not extend to county council parking enforcement.

HAMISH BIRCHALL, Dartmouth Park Hill, London