I HEAR that the state of roads, lanes and footpaths is deteriorating because councils are not spending anything on their maintenance.

Throughout this summer, however, I have witnessed council employees constantly attacking grass verges with strimmers and gang mowers, particularly when the grass is not growing, sending up clouds of dust and leaving bare, shaved areas of what could be green and grassy verges if only the appropriate department knew what it was doing.

What's more, while this unnecessary task is being performed, no attempt whatsoever is made to clear litter; the litter is merely shredded instead, and redistributed over a wider area.

Intelligent people (but perhaps that's the problem) should know that grass needs cutting less in dry weather and, if cut too short, is ruined.

The budget allocated to the maintenance of parks and gardens appears over-generous, while that for the maintenance of highways, not to mention litter clearing, seems totally inadequate.

Perhaps a council finance department representative could explain why it seems to have unlimited and inappropriate resources for parks and gardens but very little for more important services. While such seeming mismanagement of resources exists, it's no wonder council tax continues to rise.

MRS A C WATSON,

Fownhope, Hereford.