I HAVE been fighting with the council for many years for bins, plastic bags, plastic gloves and lifters (tongs) and if I remember correctly I was told it would cost me £15, but my elderly neighbour Thelma, who lives in the block of flats, has been keeping this area litter-free for years.

I have even spoken to councillor Nina Philips who has visited me on more than two occasions to speak to the council, and they informed her that they sent me some rubber gloves but they never arrived.

There is a long ditch running along the road from Wickes to just past the Hathaway Medical Centre on the Bristol road and there is a gateway from the Bristol road to the surgery, almost like a small bridge crossing.

Two years ago it was so bad, filled up with litter, poo bags and dirty nappies. I am in my seventies and I just cannot climb down into the ditch to pick up the litter so I wrote to Lloyds Pharmacy directors in their head office and, surprisingly, they came down to see for themselves.

They took a few photos and contacted the council and within a few days it was cleaned up. Now it’s getting just as bad as before.

There are no litter bins anymore. Near Wickes there are two mobile food vans, and also the B&M store where people buy their drink.

As they walk along the road they just discard their bottles and tins as there are no bins anywhere.

I normally walk down to the Catholic Church, St Mary’s, on Sunday mornings as there are no buses until 10.30am and on my way home I can pick up at least two carrier bags of litter. I mainly pick up the plastic bottles, tins and glass bottles as these I can put straight into my recycle bins.

I met the Chippenham Mayor David Powell doing the same, hence the reason we got talking about the litter problems and me receiving no help from the council.

They should be named and shamed. We were trying to keep our area litter free and not asking for a penny. They just ignore us asking for gloves, bags and tongs. I am tired of fighting with the council.

MATHEW HENDRICKS-BIRTLES

Barley Leaze

Chippenham