Sir.-Back in February this year, we contacted the council office responsible for trees in this area to tell them about the trees that are overhanging our property front and rear.

It was agreed that work would be carried out in April. Then we were promised it would be May... then June.

Finally, in July, some workers came and chopped down a dead tree out the front and my partner asked them to trim back the trees that overhang our property (the one at the front almost touches our house and blocks out a lot of light), but they refused.

We told them we would have the branches cut and send them an invoice and we got rather a frosty reply telling us to do the work ourselves.

Perhaps someone would like to tell us what exactly we pay such a huge sum of council tax for, when simple requests such as the above are flatly refused?

We cannot reach the higher branches ourselves and still have the problem of leaves and sap on our garden and vehicles, plus lots of light blocked from our house.

-Taylor household, Melrose Walk, Basingstoke.