SIR - The letter from Sally Piercy (Herts Advertiser July 9) illustrates perfectly just how difficult it is for governments, local and national, to get simple messages across. The general trend towards recycling and waste reduction is generally considered

SIR - The letter from Sally Piercy (Herts Advertiser July 9) illustrates perfectly just how difficult it is for governments, local and national, to get simple messages across. The general trend towards recycling and waste reduction is generally considered a good thing as rubbish going into landfill is unsustainable.

However, Ms Piercy complains that she can only manage to get three rubbish sacks in her wheelie bin. Why anybody needs to fill three bags per fortnight is beyond me, especially with all the extra collections for recycling and green waste provided by the council. It must be very frustrating for forward-thinking policy makers that certain members of the general public can't keep up.

MARGARET LOWNDES

Bowers Way

Harpenden

SIR - For the past three years I have given up my time to take part in the annual litter pick in Verulamium Park. Consequently people will understand how angry I feel when local children congregate in the park and trash the place with their litter.

So I was more than a bit irritated today, Thursday, July 16, when a schools sports day was taking place at the athletics track and I noticed that the grass verges were strewn with crisp bags, plastic bottles, sweet wrappers and other rubbish.

The head teachers will be fully aware of the names of those schools taking part in the event and I am sure they and their staffs made a point at the end of instructing the children to pick up their litter.

They did, didn't they?

Well just in case they didn't, I hope the council, the organisation that maintains the track or whoever is responsible for its upkeep sent off the bill for the clean-up to those headteachers. Because I fail to see why we, the local residents, should have to pay to remove the rubbish left by irresponsible, selfish, thoughtless schoolchildren.

And I also fail to see why I and other caring individuals should have to come back year after year to tidy the park. Hit these filthy people with fines and eventually they should get the message.

JIM ELLIS

Hatfield Road

St Albans