MADAM – Whilst visiting relatives in Sidmouth this week, we decided to take a walk from the seafront along Glen Road and Bickwell Valley.

MADAM - Whilst visiting relatives in Sidmouth this week, we decided to take a walk from the seafront along Glen Road and Bickwell Valley. At the lower end of Bickwell Valley, we could see a lorry with men distributing the blue food waste bins about 100 yards ahead of us. We noticed that at one house that was divided into at least three flats, the men had only left one bin.

As we were only walking slowly, the lorry remained the same distance ahead of us but, two minutes later, we saw the same thing happening again with another large house that had been divided into flats. This time a younger couple, who were level with the lorry, pointed out their error and the men left three more bins. Next door, two houses share the same drive but the men left only one bin until the couple again intervened.

As the distribution team slowly disappeared into the distance, we caught up with the other couple and asked them why the confusion had happened. Apparently, the bin distributors were from a Manchester company and they had no list of the properties at which they were leaving the blue bins.

If three mistakes happened in the space of 300 yards, dozens more were probably made in the rest of the town. I should think that the council bears the responsibility for the organisation and the words 'brewery' and 'booze-up' immediately spring to mind.

David and Rosemary Hodge

Whitegate,

Cheshire, CW8 2GH