WITH reference to Councillor David Staveley's comments he made made at a recent meeting of North Yorkshire Council, (see page one)  and his comment about rubbish being left by tourists and calling them the 'great unwashed', whilst we agree that rubbish left by locals and visitors is a problem, there are a lot of areas in probably the whole of North Yorkshire which leave a lot to be desired and because the county being too large now and a reduction in staffing numbers doesn't help.

Here in Settle, there are a lot of 'scruffy' areas. Bins in public areas are full to overflowing, especially at weekends, some gardens, for example, Ashfield Car Park and the cenotaph memorial area is a disgrace. Trees and vegetation covering road traffic signs and warnings need seeing to, and of course, potholes in the roads are disgraceful throughout the county.

It seems difficult to get anything done these days. So, just don't blame the tourists, the authorities have a lot to answer for. And, we all pay our council tax.

John and Helen Reid

Settle