IN response to K J McCabe who writes regarding the street environment service (September 27), I am sorry that the resident has not had the service that would be expected from the York Pride team.

However, while making an attack on the council leader, a street environment officer was also dragged into the fray.

I will defend my staff when they are singled out in such a way. Now with the 551551 hotline in operation there are 3,000 calls coming in each month, and I am grateful to the public for reporting issues because we do want to make York a clean and tidy place of which residents can be proud.

There will be occasions when things go wrong, and we will work hard as a team to overcome these problems and try to work out improvements to prevent a repeat.

I am taking seriously the issue of tackling black sacks where they are being put out days before the refuse is due to be taken away, which was the issue being raised by the resident in the letter.

We are using the powers that we currently have through the Environmental Protection Act. However, these are cumbersome and so we have asked the Government for a more streamlined spot fine procedure to be available to councils.

By all means have a go at us politicians when we make mistakes, but there are more appropriate ways of raising complaints against members of staff such as by writing to your councillor, or a senior officer, if you feel that you are not getting the service that you feel that you deserve.

Coun Andrew Waller,

Askham Lane,

York.

Updated: 09:42 Saturday, October 02, 2004