Saturday was one of the busiest of the year for York. St Nicholas Fayre in full swing, Christmas approaching, and a fine day. You would think City of York Council’s city centre management team would be extremely busy, managing this feat of logistics and planning.

I wonder if readers will be as astounded as I am to realise just how they view their priorities in these circumstances.

The city centre was heaving when I cycled in about 11am. The cycle racks were all taken, so I parked my bike behind a marquee in Parliament Street, locking it up, but not onto anything.

I’m selling this bike, so I’m riding around with three small “for sale” notices on it, with details of the bike, the price, and my number.

Imagine my surprise when I received a voicemail from one of the city centre management team, informing me I would be prosecuted for “trading without a licence” if I did not remove the signs from my bike immediately.

We then spent the next hour or so texting back and forth, joined after a while by a senior manager, still threatening me with prosecution, again informing me I was “trading without a licence”.

I was also told by the first man that he had removed my signs and moved my bike from “in the way”, although on my return it was exactly where I had left it.

I think it is worth the folk of York knowing just how council officers spend their time and our money in these times of constraint, and on such a busy day too. Also, I warn anyone entering York city centre, not to bring a liveried company vehicle, bearing details of your business or phone number, not to have a “for sale” notice in your car, or on your bike, or even a business advert on your clothing.

Andy Scaife, The Old Station, Naburn, York.

• A City of York Council spokeswoman said: “As event and safety managers on the busiest day of the year in Parliament Street, the council’s city centre team had a duty of care for the thousands of visitors.

”The bike, when reported to us, was positioned in a public aisle between some of the stalls.

“It was resting against one of the trees, and was considered obstructive and a trip hazard.

“It was removed to a less busy part of the street and the owner contacted via the phone number on the sign of the bike advertising its sale.

“When there was no answer from the phone call a voicemail was left and a text sent informing him of our actions.

”In order to sell a bike on the streets the owner would need a street trading consent or a pedlar’s certificate, or would have needed to be part of the market there, whose traders pay hundreds of pounds for the privilege of trading in Parliament Street during St Nicholas Fayre.

“The fact that the bike racks were full does not mean that cycle owners should effectively ‘abandon’ their bikes in a non-secure area; there are a number of racks elsewhere in the city centre.”