SIR,

My husband and I have visited Monmouth many times over the years.

It is such a lovely town and we moved here last year. We have enjoyed many walks in and around Monmouth but more and more our walks are being spoilt by two things.

Firstly by the youths that leave their mess in Chippenham Park and also the sports field next to the park.

If you go for a walk early Saturday or Sunday morning they have left papers, cans and bottles from alcohol by the seating area in the sports field.

Often the bottles are broken. Why can't the police patrol this area? Why not make it a 'no alcohol area', then the police can confiscate the alcohol.

We pay our Council Tax for these services yet these youths are left to wreck the area. They also congregate in the main park and leave their mess and alcohol tins and bottles on the grass.

Why should someone else clean up after them. I have even seen them (boys and girls) urinate in the middle of the park in broad daylight when there is a toilet only a short walk away.

It is not very nice for tourists to see this kind of behavior when they visit Monmouth.

My second point is the dogs mess; it is everywhere. There are signs for people to pick it up after their dogs but most of them don't do it.

Around the Vauxhall fields and paths are particuarly disgusting. There are bins to put dogs mess in yet it is left for people to tred in.

The entrance from the Rockfield Road area is covered in dogs mess. Maybe the council should patrol the areas where people walk their dogs and fine the owners that let them mess everywhere, instead of charging residents extra to collect garden rubbish which was always included in the Council Tax that they pay.

Whatever direction you take around Monmouth to go for a walk it is full of dogs mess, even up the Kymin.

Do these people not realise that this is a health hazard? How many children have walked or fallen in the dog mess?

It is disgusting. I am sure if these two issues are left to continue they will only get worse and ruin what is a beautiful and historic town.

Ann Wolslenholme

(Monmouth)