MADAM, On one of my wife's regular walks, this time between our Walford home and Walford Church, she came across a pile of discarded electrical and plumbing materials in two torn black plastic bags.

These were deliberately and carefully placed in the hedgerow in such a position as not to attract attention from any passing traffic. We decided to remove it by car and dispose of it in the correct manner.

The point of this letter is to ask 'do these so called tradesmen have no regard for the countryside?' They are not the only culprits, every time we go out walking at this time of the year, there are numerous discarded beer cans, plastic bottles, crisp packets, polystyrene chip containers, all of which do not degrade, to be seen along the hedgerows.

What has happened to the population today? Can't they take their rubbish home, or dispose of it in the nearest rubbish bins?

TO THE COUNCIL – employ 'lengthsmen' to keep our countryside clean, or make the able bodied on the dole spend a certain amount of time doing this before they collect their benefit. But I suppose this will not be possible due to 'Health and Safety laws'.

Vic Lockley, Walford