I was delighted to learn that the town where I was born and lived for 25 years was awarded City status.

I was, however, alarmed to learn from your newspaper that it was proposing to enter into the competition for European Cultural City of the Year.

A short walk on Boxing Day near Shirley Drive was not a very pleasant experience.

The streets are in a dreadful state of neglect. It was clear from the piles of rotting leaves, blocked drains and general rubbish around, that street cleaning seldom occurs.

Shirley Drive was in a particularly neglected state. I counted around 17 broken paving stones over 100 yards and this seemed to be general along most of the walk.

The top of the Upper Drive and Dyke Road junction was filthy and the litter bins overflowing. A street lamp damaged in May still awaits repair.

It is important that the council spends money on improving the streets and pavements for the benefit of all its residents and does not get delusions of grandeur in spending large sums of money on bidding for the European Cultural City of the Year.

At present the city of Brighton and Hove has very slim chance of getting anywhere in a bid for the title.

But if it remains as it is, it stands a very good chance of winning the title of the Scruffiest City in Europe.

-H.P.N. Robinson, Chelmsford, Essex