For many years I have been parking my car in Highdown Road and popping off to get my hair cut.

As normal last Thursday afternoon, I arrived, parked my car, went off to the ticket machine, put in my 50 pence, displayed my ticket and went off to get my haircut.

Imagine my surprise upon returning to my car after about 40 minutes to find a parking ticket attached to my windscreen. I thought 50 pence bought me two hours.

I've been paying and displaying in Highdown Road for a couple of years and have never got a ticket, so why did I have one on this occasion?

I looked at the time on my pay-and-display ticket and the time of the parking ticket and all seemed correct.

My parking ticket ran out at 16:34, the parking ticket was timed at 16:39 (a bit mean to give a ticket so soon after expiry I feel, but correct).

As I have never received a parking ticket in two years of getting my haircut, I must say I was very confused. I went back to the machine to check it was working correctly.

Upon close inspection I noticed in very small print the durations you can park have been reduced.

I feel this to be underhand and dishonest.

I've been using the same machine for a couple of years, putting in my 50 pence and going to get my haircut.

Then out of the blue, for 50 pence the time is reduced from two hours to 30 minutes. There were no signs up telling me this had happened. Without examining the machine at very close quarters you would never have known. Why should I have to inspect the machine and read all the very small print every time I use the same machine?

If prices are going to quadruple then you should at least show the change on the machine in quadruple- sized print.

-Christopher David Burrows, Hove