Sir - You report that the council has discovered months after fortnightly rubbish collections were rolled out that thousands of flats in the city do not have space for recycling bins and boxes (Report, August 3).

Councillor Fooks assures us "there are all sorts of different solutions".

Thousands of houses, especially in high density and multi-occupied parts of the city, also have no space to accommodate a fortnight's worth of rubbish, but fortnightly collections have been imposed on them nevertheless. People in houses, like people in flats, would welcome the introduction of one effective solution, never mind all sorts. Many people would also welcome an end to the appalling trail of haphazardly scattered bins, boxes and lids that follows the rubbish collection.

Councillor Fooks has dismissed the concern I have expressed to her that this advertises unattended houses and has assured me in writing that crews "are reminded regularly to be careful and considerate" when returning emptied boxes and bins.

I find this as unrealistic as her "all sorts of different solutions" to the space problems created by fortnightly collections. The crews are real people in the real world. It does not look to me as though the terms and conditions under which they are actually earning a living give them much time or opportunity to implement her reminders as they do their best to wade through the chaos created by the current council's failure of policy.

Robert Currie, Oxford