Environmental issues are a cause for concern to all of us these days but not, apparently, to Brighton and Hove City Council.

My godmother, who is 80 this year, lives in Brighton and was particularly pleased the council initiated its recycling scheme.

In the Fifties, appalled by the waste at her office, she mooted the idea of recycling discarded paper and newspapers as well as bottles, jars and tins and was laughed to scorn by colleagues who said such a scheme would be unworkable.

Because her path is steep and narrow, my godmother has a dispensation for her wheelie-bin to be placed at the side of her house for emptying. She asked if this might also apply to the recycling bins because, if these were placed on the path by the gate, they would block the way and inhibit entry for their collectors whose round is on the same day.

However, since the scheme has been in operation and in spite of numerous telephone calls when she has been assured she is on the list for special collection, more often than not her recycling bins have not been emptied.

They have now remained unemptied for ten weeks and my godmother is beginning to think her colleagues were right after all.

Judging by her experience, Brighton and Hove City Council's apparent environmental concerns are a load of unrecycled rubbish.

-Joan Richards, Brighton