Sir – I recently returned from holiday to discover that the street lights on my estate were being replaced. This all sounds fine except, other than the fact that the lamp posts are made from green painted steel instead of concrete, the actual lamps appear to be identical in their light output.

They are also repositioning the new lamps, which adds to the cost as the underground cables have to be extended.

At a time when council expenditure is being cut back and essential services to the old and infirm are being reduced or removed, this whole exercise seems to me to be completely unnecessary. To add insult to injury, the contractors worked on a Saturday, presumably being paid at overtime rates.

Malcolm Andrew, Abingdon