So the general consensus of our councillors and mayor is that the councils did their best.

Well, I, for one, say they did their worst: gridlock on most roads, footpaths that were impossible to walk on, and a total lack of gritting and salting before the snow came so as to disperse it before it got a grip.

You may think I am just another moaning minny prepared to criticise and have no knowledge of the subject of which I write.

For many years, I worked in the civil engineering trade (now retired) and, in the past, when councils were run for the benefit of the community and not the vanity of the few, we would be called out to clear the streets when snow was forecast, not after the event.

Men would tour the streets with shovels and salted grit on small trucks and clear snow from paths and roads that were missed on previous runs. Why can’t we do that today?

There is a need to get our act together if we are to believe the forecasters who say we must expect this sort of weather in the future.

Last week’s Journal article goes on to say that, if we are to expect our streets to be gritted, we can expect to be charged thousands more on our council tax.

I cannot see where my council tax is being spent now.

Where I live, we miss out on street lighting, litter picking and sweeping, let alone gritting.

I pay �200 a year on road tax -where does that money go?

So many questions and not enough answers. So, come on, councillors, give us a straight answer to a straight question.

Are you prepared to let this fiasco happen again, given the probability of more heavy snow in the future, or are you going to do what you were elected to do and get something organised? Otherwise stand aside for others who can.

A Bennett,

Littleham.