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What a load of rubbish

THE order of the “Falling Open Mouth In Disbelief” must go to Kent County Council, who told litter picker Colin Shadbolt bags of litter he has collected could not be left at the household recycling site.

Jobsworth from the council said: “The recycling site is for members of the public to dispose of items which originate from their own homes.”

The 51-year-old was told he needed to be a licensed waste collector in order to litter pick around the streets of Faversham.

In Haydon Wick we are a little more enlightened. Not only do we actively encourage volunteers to clean up, we provide equipment, training, insure them and dispose of the waste bags.

Kent County Council went on to warn that as litter waste has no specific origin it could be hazardous. I have regularly picked litter in and around Haydon Wick for more than two years and the only hazardous thing I ever found was a Des O’Connor CD.

Councils often end up as the butt of jokes and you can see why when they behave like this.

We get nothing but support from Haydon Wick Council and Swindon Borough Council. All credit to them (and new volunteers are very welcome)

We don’t clean for the Queen here. We clean because its our home.

Colin Shadbolt from Faversham, you are very welcome in Haydon Wick

JOHN STOOKE

Haydon End, Swindon

....

I am grateful to serve

I AM very grateful and honoured to have been elected to serve as a councillor for Penhill and Upper Stratton at the local election.

I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all those that voted for me.

I am looking forward to working with my fellow Labour ward councillors Teresa Page and Joe Tray to serve the community and provide a strong voice for Penhill and Upper Stratton.

If residents have issues they would like our help with please get in touch.

They can come and meet us at our surgeries on the second Saturday of the month in Upper Stratton Library between 11am and noon.

The local election results in Swindon show that there is deep concern about the direction that Swindon is heading under the Tories.

Many people told us that the Tories are wrong to close Swindon’s Children’s Centres, wrong to plan to cut our libraries, and wrong to install new parish councils and risk significant council tax increases without a referendum.

That’s why, along with my fellow Labour councillors, I will continue to represent our residents’ concerns, campaign to protect key services; and help build a better future.

MARK DEMPSEY

Swindon

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Record breaking event

RECENTLY I arrived at the hospital at 8:20am, parked, went in, was seen and was back out by 8:35, not even having to pay for car parking as it was less than 20 minutes.

Is this a modern record?

THAD LORING-LEE

Swindon