You write: Plea for fair services

First of all, let me deal with the only one of my complaints that Mr Russell addressed, the grass-cutting service. Yes, a car was parked adjacent to the kerb. If this had resulted in the grass next to the car not being cut I would have had no problem with this. However, half of the grassed area was left untouched, due to the fact (confirmed by a phone call from a council employee in the relevant department) that the wrong type of mower was used, namely a sit-on tractor rather than a hand mower.

My three other complaints were conveniently ignored by Councillor Russell. The only part of the 'pleasant, well-maintained popular estate' I can see from my lounge window, is a pot-holed road never fully swept, pavements sprouting weeds only seven days after being re-surfaced, and a weed-strewn grassed area.

All I want from my £100+ monthly council tax bill is a service comparable with that received by Durham City residents, namely tidy, well-maintained pavements and roads, and a weed-free grassed area.

If the Labour council cannot provide these fairly basic services, then I suggest it should not be spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on the purchase of and maintenance of computers and furniture for its councillors.

Finally Councillor Russell, if your idea of 'good customer service' is ratepayers having to complain to get a service that they have already paid for, and having to wait seven months (and still waiting!) for a road repair, then I suggest that you should resign in favour of someone with higher standards.

S Grendale, Belmont, Durham.

Toxic spray hazard

SIR - At a time when most people are conscious of 'green issues' I am more than surprised to see the local authority resorting to the use of chemical weedkiller to control the growth of vegetation around the perimeters of public grassed areas and the base of trees etc.

No doubt it will be argued that it is cheaper to do this once per season than to send workers around with strimmers three or four times a year. But what about the potential health hazard to children and animals from contact with these substances, and the possible damage to plants in gardens from spray drift?

No warnings are given that these areas have been contaminated and I think this leaves the authority wide open to an action by any aggrieved party. I wonder if environmental health have a view on this or were consulted before their use?

Personally, I think the weeds look better left alone rather than the unsightly scorched earth left behind in the wake of these toxins.

Name and address supplied

A simple sum...?

SIR - I am sick and tired of the criticism aimed at our councillors. Where would this country of ours be without these highly-educated people who know you can't buy 61 PCs, desks and chairs etc for less than £174,175?

For my son going to university I bought a similar package that cost a whopping £1,250 inclusive and what he has done is multiplied that amount by 61 on his PC and, bingo, there you have it - £174,175! It's easy when you know how.

So please leave our scrooge councillors alone to enjoy their PCs.

Hopefully in the future they won't claim compensation for RSI. That would be running away with ratepayers' money.

Dave Allen, Ludworth

Editor's note (just for the record...): 61x£1,250=£76,250).

Children speak out

SIR - We are Danny and Ross, aged nine and ten. We are writing to tell you about the Robins Cinema. We couldn't bear Robins Cinema closing down.

If it does what are we expected to do, we will have to travel to Newcastle to see a film. That means we will not go to the pictures very often.

Don't you think Durham has enough pubs? What's in it for us since we're not 18?

We know we speak for everyone in our school and hopefully all Durham.

Danny Prested and Ross Curry, Cheveley Park Primary School, Belmont

Park and ride

SIR - Regarding the proposed Park and Ride schemes, have the authorities considered using the now defunct and much more convenient Dryburn Hospital site which already has parking spaces for several hundred cars?

A T Hindley, New Hall

Threat to pet lambs

SIR - The Animal Legislation Information Group is a group of like-minded non-commercial goat and sheep owners. We are made up of sanctuaries who have rescued goats and sheep and people who have goats and sheep as pets.

The Government is trying to force through a Bill which would grant a Government inspector the right to enter your premises 'with reasonable force' in order to slaughter BSE-susceptible animals, eg sheep and goats genetically susceptible to scrapie, whether or not they are infected with the disease.

The owner can be fined or imprisoned for not helping with the slaughter.

A number of experts believe that the culling out of scrapie-susceptible genotypes could lead to sheep populations becoming more, not less, susceptible to BSE. What is certain is that many native and rare breeds could become extinct.

The Statutory Instrument makes no exemption for sheep and goats which are not going to enter the food chain.

We invite anyone who owns non-commercial sheep or goats, even if is just one or two pet ones, to join us so that we can ensure the lives of our animals without living in constant fear of what may happen to them.

Animal Policy Information Group, 2 Mellis Way, Hornchurch, Essex RM11 2GU.

Gazumping nightmare

SIR - I would just like to inform you that the practice of gazumping is alive and well in the world of housebuying. Although I was not directly involved, somebody further on in the chain was.

Obviously this has led to a great deal of difficulty for all the people involved, except for the people directly involved. These people do not give a thought to the feelings of the people gazumped, or any one else in the chain.

The time and money spent and the stress involved just seems to wash over them.

Why do they do this? The answer is simple. Greed. The society we live in today breeds it. No guilt shown, and a total disregard for the consequences. But for a few quid more they can live with it.

It is time to bring in the same system as in Scotland, and rid us of the stench that is gazumping.

Phil Wilson, Gilesgate.