SIR,

I am writing in response to the letter of Shirley Hughes regarding the top soil placed on the football pitch opposite the Fire Station.

I make the following observations regarding her letter: You would have to be some sort of top gardener to grow anything in her top soil. I said in my original letter that this is in fact building waste.

I am sure your readers will agree that this is not top soil, which makes you wonder what is going on and who is running this project. The letter from Shirley Hughes states that this project involves 60 young people supported by adults, parents, businesses and the local neighbourhood team. May I suggest that you form a rota scheme and all of these helpers take the young people to the purpose built skateboard park near the rowing club and leave the green areas alone for those who want to do traditional sports like football, rugby and just running around on the grass areas.

For a project that you say was set up nearly three years ago with the aim to provide and develop recreation for young people in the Drybridge/ Overmonnow areas all you appear to have achieved so far is dump building waste on land you don't have permission to build on and take away recreational land from young people who used this field for outdoor sports.

It costs nothing to take children to play football or use the goal as a rugby post to practice kicking or complete running races, how much has it cost in funding for you and your project to take this away from the kids who use to use this field.

(Name and address supplied)