In the early 1970s, recycling centres were created by our council to help eliminate flytipping which was out of control.

They became popular and the nuisance of flytipping was reduced as the centres were free and easy to use, charges only being levied for certain types of waste. Domestic waste was collected weekly.

You took a scrap car to a scrapyard, handed over the documentation and walked away.

DIY outlets now encourage you to change bathrooms, kitchens etc, creating waste that is charged by the load to dispose of.

If you have a small vehicle, this can be expensive and of course, it is tempting to dump and save money.

Most of this rubbish can be recycled and sold, so why not a modest charge instead of a hefty deterrent? Some councils have imposed a fortnightly collection of domestic waste against residents' wishes. For a family of more than two, waste builds up quickly, smells and attracts vermin.

Charging to dispose of scrap vehicles has led to large numbers of vehicles being abandoned in streets and being burned, adding to costs for the police and fire service.

Why not make scrapyards accept these vehicles as part of the licence to trade?

You report that it costs the taxpayer £144,000 a year to clear up after flytipping. Is it time to revert to a weekly refuse collection and make it easier to dispose of rubbish without hefty surcharges?

The curse of flytipping will probably never go away, but disposing of rubbish can be made easier. With the city and county councils squandering huge amounts of ratepayers' cash, the excuses of lack of money are balderdash.

RICHARD ANDERSON

Wood Farm Road

Headington

Oxford