M J G BISHOP, of Old Totnes Road, Newton Abbot, writes:

My council tax bill arrived today and once again our town council tops the percentage rate rise.

This year it has gone up over 11 per cent and for the town council services we are now paying more than we do for fire and rescue services. The town council now costs more than half of the sum needed to run Teignbridge District Council, who at least empty my wheelie bin, boxes, bucket and bag.

According to my calculations, it will only take eight years for it to cost more to run Newton Abbot Town Council than it does to run the whole of Teignbridge.

It will take a little longer, a smidgeon over 15 years for our expensive town council to be costing us as much as the police forces, sorry.... services. I use the plural services because we are now called upon to finance a county police headquarters for Cornwall. Whatever happened to economies of scale?

Perhaps I should move to a neighbouring parish and pay only a third, and still enjoy the amenities of Newton Abbot.