Nobody likes to pay fines – especially traffic ones – but nowadays it is not a case of liking it or not, because many people lack the funds to be able to pay them, so they do the only thing they can – appeal against the fine.

Now we’re not talking about a couple of dozen drivers, but a massive 100,000 driving fines that have been paralysed by this process.

Mind you, the Granadinos have the reputation of being a touch on the tight side (stingy) and on average 70% of them appealed against the 170,000 traffic fines generated during last year.

You might ask yourself if the city’s Local Police are not a little too ‘trigger happy’ when it comes to fining – how else can you explain an average of 150,000 to 200,000 traffic fines per annum in a city whose population is just over 300,000?

Most of the fines, mind, are generated by speed cameras, which during their first year of objectionable existence nailed 290,000 motorists.

Mind you, down on the coast in Happyville Almuñécar, Big Bad Benny couldn’t give a flying fig about appeals because he orders the driver’s account to be embargoed anyway, and if your appeal is successful, you might even get it back – yeah, right!