Patient falls victim to the great parking penalty rip-off

Published: 9 April, 2010

• IT is disgraceful that Chana Suri Hoffman was ripped off by the bailiffs to the tune of £580 because she had paid-and-displayed at Whittington Hospital but had to have an emergency procedure (Price of an emergency, April 2). But Islington Council needs every penny it can get. After all, it has to pay John Foster, the chief executive, £210,000 a year.
If he works for 30 hours a week, 46 weeks a year then his hourly pay rate works out at £152. In four hours he will have ‘earned’ just over £580. The vast majority of residents do not earn anything like this in a week – or even a fortnight.
So bad luck, Chana Suri Hoffman. Without the bailiffs ripping off the thousands of people like you, where would Islington get the money to pay Mr Foster and the 40 odd other people it pays more than £75,000 a year?
HARRY G MOSS
Manor Road, N16