IN THE maelstrom of who should have free garden waste bags, it has been overlooked that all rate-paying citizens of Oxford have already paid for these useless things through their council tax.

They have also paid, by the same means, for the sensible, strong, re-usable hessian sacks made redundant. Now all must pay again for a scheme devised to con the council taxpayer out of more money.

There is no council tax money, any more than there is government money in Westminster.

It is our money, administrated by people we have voted for to use it wisely on our behalf.

This garden waste fiasco is just a latecomer to many such mistakes we have made when voting.

PAMELA ST CLAIR Argyle Street Oxford

HAVING read (Oxford Mail, July 28), I would like to correct something John Tanner wrote. He said that people on benefits don’t have to pay for brown bins or brown bags.

I am on benefit but I had to pay for my bags.

THORA THOMAS Bayswater Road Headington Oxford