Whether or not you are a Kemi Badenoch supporter, her comment that people get into more trouble for driving slightly above the limit in a 20mph zone than shoplifting will have resonated with millions. Because there is a war against motorists being waged out there – and it’s driving us to despair.

Wednesday 26th August was to be the happy day when we celebrated the 100th birthday of my Auntie Alice with a party at her care home. Alas, she never made it. I received a text from my cousin in early August to inform me that Alice had died, just three weeks before her centenary. So instead of it being the day of her birthday party, 26th August was actually the day of her funeral, at Mortlake Crematorium. If I go up to London (I live just outside Oxford), I normally travel by coach or train but as I was attending the funeral with my mother, who is 98 and too disabled to travel by public transport, I drove there. 

The PCN – coming straight after attending a funeral – left me feeling extraordinarily depressed and demoralised

The PCN – coming straight after attending a funeral – left me feeling extraordinarily depressed and demoralised

Hearing horror stories about how easy it was to get a fine in Sadiq Khan’s London I diligently did my homework the night before. I checked my car was fully ZEZ compliant. It was. I looked at the congestion charge zones. It appeared we would just avoid these by being on the edge of the charging areas. Yet, despite all this preparation, I still got clobbered. My ‘crime’? Well,........

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