GIVEN the rather indifferent response of City of York Council to the resident confronted by a rat in her wheelie bin (November 25), would the Labour and Green Party councillors like to give us their policies for rodent extermination charges when they are running the council after 2007?

Would they confirm that they will scrap the £30 charge brought in by the Lib Dems? After all, the tiny amount of money raised by such a charge pales into insignificance when compared with the thousands of pounds that the Lib Dems have wasted with the loss of city centre car-parking revenue.

The Lib Dems really ought to think of scrapping this vermin tax immediately. Their 2003 election manifesto stated: "We will seek to retain flexibility to modify services in response to changing priorities and residents' needs and wishes."

Is public health a priority? Do residents need rats in their bins and do they wish to pay to get rid of them?

M Warters,

Yew Tree Mews,

Osbaldwick Village,

York.

Updated: 09:24 Thursday, December 01, 2005