At the end of every financial year, poorly-managed local government departments, confronted with the problem of using up underspent budgets, traditionally dig holes in the road and fill them up again, calling this "essential maintenance".

Tarmacing bits of road around parked cars at White Street in Kemp Town (The Argus, March 31) looks like an imaginative variant on this.

All over the city, right now, I am sure there are mindless, minor road works in progress.

Be careful not to trip on the broken pavements when observing them.

And take comfort from the fact as soon as the new financial year arrives, work will stop.

-Trevor Pateman, Brighton