IT is well known that Christchurch has one of the highest percentages of elderly people in the country and introducing the new green collection of recycling items and refuse has been the cause of great consternation to many of them.

When the latter was discussed before introduction of the new system, residents were assured that, where necessary, “assistance” with collection would be given.

In our area, for 39 years, cheerful, efficient refuse collectors have reversed their large lorries, without a problem, past a row of garages and the collectors have walked along a carefully maintained and surfaced access path to empty the bins of three terraced houses which are located in a private development.

In all that time, there has never been any damage at all to the surface outside the garages. So why has assistance been denied to these three houses now?

The latest objection was that there would need to be some insurance indemnity in case their lorries damaged what is private property.

The safety of these residents has not even been a consideration.

Perhaps. it should be noted that the majority of the residents are over 80 years with two of them 86 and 87! The solution suggested to them is to install the multiple wheelie bins at the front of the houses where there is virtually no space and they would spoil the view for other residents in the development, all of whom have gone to great expense to provide attractive exteriors.

W A WHITE SMITH, Earlsdon Way, Highcliffe