Sir, – On Friday, May 8, I was stopped in Thirsk Market Place for dropping a cigarette end.

The women who challenged me about the incident were showing no ID on the exterior when they approached me. On confronting me, they then produced a Hambleton District Council ID from under a fleece jacket – the logo on the jacket was animal welfare warden.

I think this is a very underhand way of catching people. I am a council tax payer and I feel they were very underhand about the whole identification method. These wardens want to get round all the pubs, clubs and drinking establishments and catch people.

As for the fine, I feel for the first offence you should be given a warning and not an £80 fine.

I think that Hambleton District Council are using shabby and underhand methods of policing the streets to catch offenders.

They want to get out and stop young people littering the town and other areas at night with bottles and cans, and also take a look at all the chewing gum on pavements and pigeon dirt.

K GILL Admirals Court, Sowerby, Thirsk.