Sir,

I am not surprised by the article in last week's paper about the county council being very slow payers.

Recently I was called to an emergency involving a hazardous tree above the Overmonnow School access road at Drybridge Park. We were on site within ten minutes and although it was a Friday afternoon, pouring with rain and very windy the tree was made safe.  

The following day we cleared up and an invoice was sent to the County Council Estates Department.

Some eight weeks later and after several telephone conversations and reminders I have still not been paid.  On Monday I telephoned again and at long last spoke to the person responsible,  I was given the usual standard answer of "the invoice has been caught up in the system."  

Unfortunately for her one of her colleagues had previously told me the invoice had been sat on her desk for the past eight weeks. 

When I asked how it had been caught up in the system I was told it had not been processed.  I then asked why it had not been processed and she replied "I can't comment". 

This seems very arrogant and unacceptable and is not the sort of attitude I would expect from our local authority. I have a very good working relationship with the tree officers at County Hall (who are professional, efficient and very helpful)  and I feel they are being badly let down by Estates management who are responsible for payment. 

Someone at County Hall needs to address this problem before small businesses start to suffer.

 S.P.Wadley

(Monmouth)