I HAVE have lived in Bury for nearly 30 years and have been quite happy to soldier on with increases in council taxes because I sometimes thought that they were justified. But not this 11.7 per cent increase.

Bury Council should never have used our money to financially support Bury Football Club. Any other business with a cash crisis would have had to go to the wall but football seems to be more important than -- for example -- keeping open old people's homes. This is a democracy and I don't remember being asked if they could spend my money on Bury FC.

We live near Gigg Lane, home of Bury FC, and we continually have our weekend plans ruined by fans. At times we can't even get to our own homes because of their vehicles being so badly parked. And it isn't just Saturdays, but sometimes virtually every day of the week with Bury FC and Swinton Rugby Club games being played. Our gardens have been turned into rubbish dumps for discarded bottles, cans and crisp bags and it is disgraceful that extra police have to be employed on match days just to control the fans..

I have complained to the council, the police, and my local councillor, but to no avail, and requested a reduction in council tax for the inconvenience caused.

My second "moan" is about refuse collections. With all this extra tax can we now assume that our dustbins will be emptied and properly replaced instead of being left in the middle of the road, and that all household refuse will be removed if it is bagged and left near the bin? It is not too much to ask, is it?

VERY FED UP