Sir.-After reading your front page of The Basingstoke Extra, September 24, I was finally sure that the lunatics were running the asylum.

Cllr Donnelly's brilliant idea to charge for the removal of sofas, fridges, etc, is surely a great invitation for even more fly tipping.

I have long held the view that Basingstoke council is committed to fostering slum mentality throughout the borough - one only has to walk around any estate to see that more rubbish than ever is strewn about. Hedges grow out of control,and footpaths have more grass growing in the cracks between the flagstones than on the grass verges. Perhaps someone might like to suggest that councillors and executives try taking a look around.

If, as I have twice in the last six weeks, you report that rubbish has been dumped outside your property, you are told it will be removed in 48 hours. But a week later it's still there. Paths don't appear to be swept and litter is not removed.

Irrespective of where the increase came from, council tax increased by 15 per cent and, in my opinion, services declined by 50 per cent.

The council elections come around in May (no doubt after another hike in council tax) and the hopefuls will trot out a string of promises that will be broken.

I'm disappointed in the way things have been allowed to slide and standards to drop.

Mr B Hunt, Goodman Close, Basingstoke.