In Dean Street, Darwen, where I live I am cemented between two rubbish tips.

This brings rats and is a total disgrace.

A few years back when I was 62 I used to walk around and pick up the rubbish every day.

The problem was no-one would back me up and I was left to do it alone.

After 35 years living in Dean Street, I’ve only seen the council make four attempts to clean it up, without a proper job ever being done.

The police allow vandals to wreck the planted wooded areas and have never bothered to do anything.

In a modern world this is not acceptable and both the council and police should be ashamed of themselves.

Gerald Duxbury (via email).