Sir – Last week it snowed quite heavily in Oxfordshire and it was cold. It is typical winter weather. I notice in mainland Europe it is also cold and life goes on as normal.

However, since Tuesday, January 5, the following things have occured and I live in central Witney:

  • I have had no postal delivery
  • My son’s school will be closed until January 11 and perhaps longer
  • The rubbish collection has been suspended
  • There is no gritting at all on country roads
  • There seems to be no snow chains on buses to make them run smoothly on ice as there would be in any other European country
  • Travel is severely disrupted and public services suspended
  • Why is it in the UK that every time we get snow everything stops?

I have to blame the councils — there seems to be no spending at all on preparation for winter weather — it is disgraceful. Why does a whole county have to stop when it gets cold and snows? This is not Siberia.

Laura Macleod, Witney