I wish to offer the following response to the front page article in last week's Malvern Gazette (January 19).

I can fully sympathise with and share Brenda Jacobs disappointment at the high amount of trash on Malvern's streets. However, Ms Jacob was pictured in a relatively litter-free area of the town. If she had visited Link Top and its environs, she would have been even more appaled.

I have travelled extensively and am of the opinion that, in the developed world, England now has the shameful distinction of being the dirtiest country. The dirty man of Europe label which was applied a few years ago is, unfortunately, alive and well!

Malvern has the potential to be a beautiful part of the country with the backdrop of its famous hills, but it can never be considered so until the local people take more pride in the area. I came here in August 1999 and have noticed a steady deterioration in street cleanliness. Not only has the amount of rubbish increased but also the dog fouling which, around my particular area, is absolutely disgusting.

Why is it that the British are so dirty and have no national pride? Why are not all retailers responsible for the cleanliness of the area outside their premises as well as inside? The build-up of litter around corner convenience stores in Malvern Link is inexcusable.

The comments of Paul Sobczyk (head of client services Malvern District Council) are complacent and unhelpful as it has become increasingly obvious, despite numerous Keep Britain Tidy campaigns, that the British have a deep-seated reluctance to take their litter home with them. For some reason, people think that, because they pay local council taxes, local councils should pick up their rubbish.

Because so few people choose to walk to town and prefer to drive everywhere, it is perhaps not obvious to the majority just how dirty Malvern has become. It is high time that we all started to take responsibility for our own actions and to care for our environment.

This is by no means the first letter that has been published in the Malvern Gazette highlighting the towns dirtiness and I doubt that it will be the last. It is not too late for everyone to make a New Year's resolution to stop dropping litter. Please lets see some civic pride in Malvern develop during 2001.

Jan Dyer, Leigh Sinton Road, Malvern.