I read with interest about the West Wickham resident fined for putting domestic rubbish in a Council litter bin.

Unfortunately, the full story reveals a disgraceful waste of Council tax payers money and a mis-direction of Council Officers' efforts.

What readers did not know was that the Council got hit for £500 court costs and that the offence was incredibly minor.

If the council had been doing its job properly and clearing litter outside the residents' verge, the incident would never have happened.

In fact, the vast majority of the waste put into the litter bin was collected fromthe verge and should have gone into the bin anyway if the litter-louts had been disposing of their rubbish properly.

Presumably, the court took all this into account when deciding costs.

By a strange coincidence, Bromley has announced £500 bounties for information leading to the prosecution of fly tippers and graffiti writers - perhaps the council officer who relentlessly pursued this case would like to donate the first £500 back to the Borough scheme for wasting our rates!

If these officers were as vigilant on 'tagging' then we would soon have a clean borough!

Rod Reed

Foxgrove Avenue

Beckenham

December 5, 2001 13:08