CONGRATULATIONS to Kate McMullen on her new post as the boss of Visit York.

York is set for an exciting year, but as someone who was stung by a Lendal Bridge fine I fear that many visitors will leave York with a sour taste in their mouths.

Many of the 40,000 people who have been fined are visitors. They are angry and they are not coming back.

The council has not sent friendly letters. Letters demanded £60 for each offence, reduced to £30 if you stumped up in 14 days. The intimidated or the simply fed-up paid; others pleaded that signage was poor and that the bridge was not a legal bus lane.

If you were turned down the first time, York’s unfriendly council gave you the option of paying £30 or going to appeal, where if you lost you would then pay £60.

Some of us decided to go to an independent adjudicator. The council did not, as far as I know, contest these cases.

We won by default, as did many others. The council did not defend its actions, yet has still continued with this farce and is still collecting money on what is now being referred to as the world’s most expensive toll bridge.

I’m sure many overseas visitors will come to the events in York, many of whom will hire cars and will be fined more (the hire companies charge up to £30 for admin when paying the fine).

Many will feel sickened when their lovely experience is later soured by a fine.

So Kate has her work cut out.

Alison Lyon, Hartlepool.