I see from your letters (September 13 and 16) that people are complaining about service charges in restaurants.

Service charge is an optional extra. It is not legally compulsory to pay. You can ask for your bill to be presented to you without service charge on it, or you are allowed to cross out the service charge on the bill and pay what’s owed. No service charge is legally payable.

I personally do not pay any service charge on any bill I have had, always remove it from the bill and generally pay the staff member the tip directly.

No establishment is legally allowed to demand service charge regardless of if it’s printed on the menu.

Remember also, since the minimum wage, that some establishments which add a service charge keep this to boost profits. Before the minimum wage law, establishments used to make up staff wages with this extra charge.

If the establishment argues that you should pay service charge, insist, pay the bill without service charge, leave and don’t go back. Perhaps even post your experience online somewhere.

James Tucker, John Street, Brighton