'People seem happy to litter'

SIR - Before moaning about the City Council’s failure to reduce numbers of gulls, readers should take an early morning walk through the city centre.

Walking through Barbourne and The Tything at 5.15am, most of the food outlets had left black bags outside which had been torn open by foxes and gulls and the contents left scattered across the pavement.

On arrival in The Foregate and The Cross at 5.30am, City Council workers were already hard at work, surrounded by gulls, clearing a massive carpet of food waste and packaging which had been left on an ordinary weekday night.

This level of inadvertent feeding of gulls (and probably rats and foxes) makes it almost impossible for the Council to reduce numbers, bearing in mind the thousands of gulls on Hill and Moor Landfill Site waiting for a nice vacancy in Worcester City Centre.

At one time there was talk of rules for food outlets to deal with the problem but now regulation is seen as damaging to business.

The demand for fast food is such that industrial sized wheeled bins are needed but they wouldn’t look very pretty in the city centre, and I can’t imagine that Council Tax payers would like to fund a night shift litter patrol.

Any ideas, as it seems that consumers are happy to dump their left overs and packaging in the street with the unrealistic expectation that the Council will deal with litter and the resulting gulls, rats and other scavengers?

Derek Fearnside

Worcester

'Let’s support our hospital'

SIR - We have recently received very poor press regarding Worcester hospital.

I am sure there’s funding, staffing levels or system failures that may account to some of these comments.

However, I would like to report a more positive experience.

On July 17 I had the misfortune to fall and dislocate my hip at home and an ambulance had to be called.

From the time the call was made for the ambulance; the treatment I received from the call centre, ambulance crew, A&E doctors and nurses, X-ray staff and discharge staff was exceptional.

They all acted in a friendly and professional manner in providing my treatment in busy and hectic environment.

An appointment was made for the next day to see the consultant who performed the original hip replacement and I am now receiving further treatment to help prevent a further dislocation.

I am sure this is the norm rather than the exception; let’s support our hospital and staff and give them the credit and resources they all deserve to continue to provide this wonderful service.

Tim Millis

Worcester

'Everything is just the same'

SIR - Worcester’s new shopping ‘experience’ is here.

Everything is for sale, I can get over a 100 dishes at one eatery, I can find excellence under one roof and on it goes.

Recently I visited Gloucester and Cheltenham where I found exactly the same experiences. All very welcoming if you can pay for it.

But, hang on a minute, if all our cities have similar experiences then eventually it will become no experience as all experiences will be the same.

Perhaps when all is the same, the bosses will have created a world in which even a false smile can be bought for a price - your soul.

David Griffiths

Worcester

'Host a tea party for us'

SIR - I am writing to invite your readers to host a World Tea Party this summer in support of working animal charity SPANA.

Putting on a Moroccan, Indian, Chinese, or another world-themed party, offers everyone the chance to get together with friends and try out tasty new recipes, while also raising much-needed funds to help the world’s most hardworking animals.

In the poorest countries worldwide, working animals transport goods to markets, children to schools, and water and supplies to remote communities – supporting the livelihoods of one billion people.

SPANA’s work providing free veterinary treatment for these animals is so vital, helping to ensure that they can lead a life free from suffering.

There are plenty of exciting recipes to try out, including new delicious treats provided by chefs Ken Hom and Kiran Jethwa.

I hope your readers will get behind this campaign and give them a go.

The SPANA World Tea Party fundraising pack, full of free recipes, is available from

www.spana.org/teaparty or by calling 020 7831 3999.

Jessie Hill

SPANA World Tea Party Hostess

'Why annoy customers?'

SIR - I AM surprised that Waitrose, like many other British supermarket operators who are currently feeling the adverse pressure from the German-owned discounters, are prepared to antagonise their loyal customer base by imposing these recently announced car parking restrictions (Gazette, July 28).

Do they not realise that patronage works both ways?

Picture this: a regular Waitrose customer has to walk up Edith Walk to the HSBC following a weekly shop at the store.

This valued customer gets held up by the huge queue which has been created by the bank in its quest embrace modernity in reducing its overheads by shutting branches.

So this shopper is five minutes late getting back to the car park and gets hit by a £70 fine.

What do you think that this customer is going to feel about this unfortunate experience?

It certainly is not going to endear Waitrose to him or her, and clearly will take more than a free skinny latte and a newspaper to reduce the sour taste.

The oddity here is that some years ago some bright spark down in Waitrose head office came up with the idea of the free coffee in order to get the shopper to pause a while in the shop and perhaps spend more time and therefore money.

How times have changed for the unfortunate Waitrose shopper.

In contrast down in the Link the parking is not restricted, there is plenty of space on the Victoria car park, both Lidl and the Co-op have more than adequate parking.

The Link boasts many vibrant shops, all situated in a stress-free environment where the shopper can spend money whilst not constantly checking the time.

I can foresee a bigger problem than that of a full car park – an empty one!

Robert Amatt

Castlemorton

'Energy firms want more'

SIR - There is an element of irony that on the day after British Gas announce an inflation busting increase of 12.5% on electricity, our Worcester News publishes Harriett Baldwin’s column, “Delivering our election pledges, including keeping traffic flowing”.

 Centrica’s justifications for the price rise are that they “need” a 5% profit margin and that running costs have increased.

The Government’s response to these “justifications” was somewhat lacklustre, paying lip service to Mrs. May’s election promises. 

Other business sectors manage to get by with smaller profit margins and seriously, running costs?

Wholesale electricity prices have fallen from £90 per Megawatt hour (MWh) in 2008 to around £42/MWh today. I don’t recall the energy companies passing the price drop to their customers.

 In an article for The Sun Theresa May wrote that “too many people simply aren’t getting a fair deal” and that “if I am re-elected on June 8, I will take action to end this injustice by introducing a cap on unfair energy price rises”.

The Government must make a more robust condemnation of an action which, ultimately, will make only a handful of shareholders Christmas.

The Guardian, in December 2016. reported that one in ten households live in fuel poverty, households having to make “heat or eat” decisions.

Do we really want a society where more and more people are having to answer the same question?

If a government’s prime responsibility is to defend its citizens from harm, then surely not!

Robyn Norfolk

Worcester

'City getting so gentrified'

SIR - After recently visiting the city centre from a period of working away, I noticed the gentrification of Worcester has begun.

The new developments and refurbishments of local bars and restaurants have led to food and drink prices rocketing at the top of the high street!

I think I’ll stick with the bottom end of town.

Joseph Williams

Worcester