WE have lived in a council rented property for three years.

We spoke to the housing officer for our area regarding a gate to a shared ginnel between our house and next door.

This gate has been tied up and nailed shut, this means we have no throughway to our back garden leaving us no choice but to put our bins near to our front door, which means any garden waste has to be carried through the house.

We are now in the middle of a right to buy and had the mortgage approved three months ago. The gate was to be fixed as it would be agreed that it had to be for shared access to the rear of the property.

The gate is still not fixed and has now meant we have to reapply for the mortgage.

When I rang the repair line back I was told he had e-mailed them but the person concerned was on holiday. What I would like to know is, does the council's left hand know what its right hand is doing?

M BISHOP, Broadfield Road, Accrington.