MANY thanks to "Fair Minded" of Ramsbottom (Your Letters, Aug 13) for his encyclical concerning footpath fouling and especially for his resume of Chapter 32 of the Book of Proverbs touching upon "Punishment of Horse Owners Whose Animals Defecate Upon Highways" (a very tasteful subject)!

However, were "Fair Minded" to visit Tottington, walking in particular via Greenmount, he would soon realise that any legislation to try to promote a personal clear-up regime would be unenforceable on account of the "weight" of the problem. Its supervision would, indeed, become a full-time job.

That part of Market Street, Tottington, adjacent to the old town hall recently suffered possibly the worst example one can imagine of the problem in question. The "nuggets" were deposited on August 7 and for more than two weeks were completely disregarded by street cleansing operatives.

I am able to pinpoint the time of "arrival" on account of having passed by the area on foot at 9.20 one evening. Imagine my annoyance when, two hours worth of mild ale later and with my view somewhat impeded by my umbrella held ahead of me, I stumbled into a large heap of freshly-deposited horse manure in the middle of the footpath.

I straightened up, brushed myself down and looked for a patrolling police officer. Fortunately none was around so I continued my walk home only to fall once again, not 10 yards hence, into the middle of a second similarly constituted heap of fertiliser. Comforted only by the fact that my still erect umbrella was preventing my surroundings getting even more moist, I contemplated the nearby DIY shop's offer: "Dry-cleaning - a third off". What is most disconcerting though is the fact that none of the so-called relevant authorities wanted to know.

Two days later I saw what appeared to be a street cleansing worker - operating a manually-held implement resembling a giant hoover - engaged in sucking-up street rubbish. Would you believe he actually detoured around both obstructions although, to be fair, his gadget did not appear to have a receptacle capable of storing much more than the two said compost heaps.

Three days later I noticed two men in suits taking notes but, needless to say, nothing has been done. A week later, the mess had been somewhat flattened and widened by the passing and re-passing of the likes of unsuspecting mothers forcing prams across the soggy brown terrain.

Personally I blame it on the demise of the old fashioned galvanised steel bucket and shovel. In th'old days - when you could leave your front door open and the milk money under your empties - you would be vying wit' neighbour to transfer horse droppings to your prize roses. But I digress.

It has become so bad that there is only one answer. In the words of Blackpool holidaymaker Mrs Ramsbottom: "Somebody's Got To Be Summonsed". That should be "decided upon" before something really serious - or even worse - happens!

DAVID HARGREAVES,

Market Street, Tottington.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.