MADAM,

Last Thursday Jane Middleton and I took Monmouth's new Area Manager, Lee Robson, for a walk around the town. Our object was to show him the extent of the litter problem in Monmouth and to enlist his help in getting it cleaned up. Apart from the obvious places like Priory Street, the churchyard (who, incidentally, is responsible for cleaning this?) and the passage by the Vine Tree, we visited places unknown to me personally.

If you have not been up Nailers' Lane recently (by the side of Morgam News) I urge you to do so. Go up and admire the view of the Castle ruins on your right and then turn round and look at the old cars and rotting mattresses. Surely public health should be concerned at this as a breeding ground for rats.

I had heard about, but never walked along, Williamsfield Lane (by Drybridge Vets). This should be a pleasant country lane, but is made squalid by an accumulation of litter - volunteers picked up eight sacks of rubbish from here only three weeks ago and it is as bad again.

The lane leads to the King's Fee children's playground and the mess around there has to be seen to be believed. The same goes for the park at the top of Elstob Way. What happened to community pride? Does no one care enough to get together a group to clear up their area and then to keep it clean?

Street cleaning in Monmouth is grossly underfunded but the Council can only do so much and we much help ourselves to improve the areas in which we live.

We did not have time to do a tour of Wyesham but, by all accounts, parts of that beautiful setting are reminiscent of rubbish tips in the Third World. Lee Robson would like to hear of areas needing cleaning.

However, the news is not all bad - there are signs of improvement already. The Parade on the Hereford Road has been cleaned of long accumulated rubbish, Howells Place was litter-free except for one Greggs' bag when we walked along it and the Glendower Street car park and around the sports Ground have been cleaned up. Best of all someone has cleared up the worst rubbish from around the gate of Drybridge Nature Park and we are told that the awful mess along Rockfield Road opposite Drybridge House is soon to be cleared. Many thanks to whoever is responsible for these improvements.

Our new Area Manager has shown that he cares about the issue of litter and cleanliness and, given our help, he will do his best to improve matters. He is an asset to the town and should be given every support.

B Hill

Beaufort Road,

Osbaston