I FEEL that Terry Smith (The Press, March 10), being such a fantastic example of York and the Conservative Party, should put pen to paper and pay his ever-growing fine before the taxpayer has to pay for his court appearances, rather than putting pen to paper for the petition of Burnholme Community College – or it will be his shop closing and not the school.

J Yeoman, Heworth, York.

• I WAS surprised when reading about Terry Smith and his illegal signs that he reacted the way he did.

He brags to his thousands of friends on Facebook that he “Studied law and politics at Cambridge University.” Surely with such a qualification under his belt he would not only have known he was breaking the law by placing those signs, but would also have been capable of defending himself.

Although, I must admit that from a personal point of view, I side with the courts. I’m a learner driver and I find the tatty cardboard signs at the roadside to be nuisance and an unwelcome distraction while on my lessons, particularly when soggy with rain and blown into the road.

Rebecca Davis, Wycliffe Avenue, York.