AFTER reading the letter praising Ron the park ranger and the excellent standard of care in Whitehead Park, I cannot help but wonder why there is no Ron in my local park.

I am referring to Manchester Road Park which is an absolute disgrace and resembles a waste ground rather than a recreation area.

Myself and my family use this park frequently (at least four times a day), through necessity rather than choice, to exercise our two dogs.

I was walking one of my dogs last week when I noticed she was bleeding badly from her paw.

She had a gaping wound on her pad caused by walking on smashed lager bottles.

I have since learnt that this broken glass had been there for over a week.

Consequently we now face a hefty vet's bill and a very unhappy young dog who cannot be exercised.

I am constantly picking up broken glass left by gangs of youths who seem to revel in committing acts of vandalism and intimidating people on their own in the park.

Only a few weeks ago, there was a small gang of very young children firing an air rifle in the children's area of the park. Where are the police?

If I was to be caught not cleaning up after my dogs, I would be obliged to pay a fine, yet the bins provided for disposing of dog mess are constantly overflowing causing a disgusting stench. As a result of this I am forced to use the bins intended for general rubbish which are also rarely emptied properly.

It is no good providing these facilities if they are not adequately and frequently maintained.

A park should be a place for everyone to enjoy. The council and the police both need to address these problems or maybe Ron fancies a new challenge!

A JACKSON

Bury