I am the girl in the pink wig (pictured left) whose horrible experience on election night was witnessed by many people at Hove Town Hall - and was correctly described by a number of people who were also there on election night (Letters, May 12 and 17).
Readers of The Argus should hear the story of my unfair and embarrassing treatment.
I was there as an invited and entitled attendee - supporting the Free Party.
In the party's light-hearted tradition, I was wearing fancy dress and was also fully equipped with a feather duster and a pair of yellow washing-up gloves.
As I entered the hall, I noticed a heavy police and security presence in the foyer.
But as I hadn't come to cause trouble, I didn't give it a second thought. How wrong can you be?
Upon producing my ticket, there ensued an unsightly fracas caused by a council employee who challenged the status of my perfectly legitimate ticket.
When I remonstrated with this rude and unprofessional young public servant, the ticket was snatched from my hand.
I was then jostled out of the building, wrestled to the ground and handcuffed
- Marigolds and all.
My vintage party dress was ripped beyond repair and the feather duster was "impounded" by police.
There followed an uncomfortable and completely unnecessary night in a police cell - not to mention a fixed-penalty fine of £80.
A couple of days later, when I had recovered from the shock, I applied to see the CCTV footage of the incident at the Town Hall in order to prove my conduct had been blameless.
After a week of waiting, I received the strange and worrying news that not a single camera in the foyer had been working that night.
The whole sad tale raises many disturbing questions. I wonder if any of your readers have had similar experiences when visiting our city's seat of democracy?
-Name and address supplied
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