When I started to read John Tanner's letter, I began to smile because, knowing that he is a staunch Labour supporter, his excuse for cutting weekly rubbish collection to fortnightly was mainly to reduce the carbon dioxide in the air, so that the thousand extra rats which have bred since, and the Oxford population, can breathe more easily.

Then, when I got to the end of his letter, where he urges the readers to vote Labour, I realised he was being serious.

The probable reason that the collections were changed was that savings had to be made in public expenditure and this was one way of saving a few thousand pounds.

To me, that is a cut in public services and for a staunch Labour man to admit it, is difficult.

So, to bring back weekly collections is an increase in public services, and as this is being suggested by the Tories, Mr Tanner suggests this is a gimmick, then comes out with the ludicrous suggestion that the cuts were purely for green issues.

Admit it, Mr Tanner, it was a cut in public services, and say sorry.

NORMAN ROPER Stow Avenue Witney