JUST in case you needed another excuse not to shop in East Kilbride the powers-that-be have found one.

You'd have thought parking charges and scores of empty properties would have been enough to persuade shoppers to stay on the road for 20 minutes and go to Braehead or Silverburn.

But, just in case you needed further persuasion, the new parking payment system at the Olympia Centre, which has motorists standing and queuing for up to 15 minutes to escape while their frozen food melts before their very eyes, will surely be enough to drive shoppers elsewhere.

In my case, because I couldn't remember my car registration number, I had to queue up TWICE for 15 minutes to get out of this shocking centre.

Never again!

M McNab, East Kilbride

Handrail please

HAVING been to the recent concerts of Andrea Bocelli and Andre Rieu at the Hydro, I have to agree with Bill Russell (December 21) that a hand rail up the middle of the stairs would help the elderly.

However, I disagree there was no Scottish input at the Rieu concert. Did the lady in the blue dress not play Amazing Grace on the bagpipes brilliantly?

John Giudici

Ban bookies

I WAS not surprised to see the Evening Times report on 'the city's £800m slots habit' as you can't blink in Glasgow for another betting shop opening up.

We lost our Royal Bank of Scotland branch near Paisley Road Toll a few months back and there had been hopes a store would open up benefiting the whole community.

However, it was not to be. The speed at which another betting shop opened up at the junction of the Angel building has astounded me.

The area is already saturated with bookies - we don't need another one.

Name and address supplied

Recycle alert

IT is amazing seeing Xmas decorations, presents and lights at this time of year. I hope the council has ~ organised extra resources to recycle the bulk in terms of cardboard boxes, packaging and bags generated.

Mr Clean