Last Saturday, a car alarm went off in my road at 10.30am.

By 1.30pm, I was surprised nobody seemed to have reported it. I soon found out why.

On trying to find the traffic wardens' phone number - which, I was informed by directory inquiries, is now extinct - I traced a police number said to deal with traffic alarms.

A recorded voice asked me to leave a message so I gave details of my reason for ringing and where the car was.

By 2.30pm, there had been no reply to my call. The alarm went on and on. What is the use of an alarm if there is no one to report it to?

I did try the police a second time but, again, received no help.

-Anna Marsaglia, Norfolk Road, Brighton