I READ with interest your front page item about fencing off St Neots Community College and its grounds, which seems to suggest that it is the general public who are dropping the rubbish that lies within and around the school grounds. I live near the schoo

I READ with interest your front page item about fencing off St Neots Community College and its grounds, which seems to suggest that it is the general public who are dropping the rubbish that lies within and around the school grounds.

I live near the school and for the past 18 months or so have walked my dog up the footpath from Barford Road alongside the school grounds around Pocket Park, riverside etc. I also shop regularly at Tesco in Barford Road.

It would be quite an easy exercise to find out where most of the rubbish appears from by quietly patrolling Barford Road on weekdays from about 11am. to 2pm. to see just how many pupils from that school make their way to Tesco to buy their cream buns, doughnuts, crisps, cooked chicken, bottles/cans of cola etc. (all good healthy meals of course), many of them putting maybe just one item in a carrier bag.

They then make the return trip to the school, firstly disposing of the carrier bag wherever it falls, very often around the first roundabout by Tesco, then devouring whatever food they have purchased and disposing of the food wrappers in a similar manner to the carrier bags. A walk alongside the ditch along Barford Road will bear witness to this.

Of course, not all the pupils who shop at Tesco do this. Others actually walk through the housing estate, probably doing the same kind of thing. This is not supposition. My wife and I have witnessed it on many occasions.

If they were to check round the side of the small astro-turf pitch near the recreation centre, particularly where the seldom used gate is, they will see an enormous amount of cigarette ends thrown there by pupils, presumably sixth formers, who sit round there out of sight from the school, smoking.

The proposed fence would also create an interesting problem of how you supervise the site when various sports teams use the facilities at weekends. For example, the rubbish within the large astro-turf area is a disgusting eyesore, and this obviously gets blown around.

Just who would foot the bill for this fence, which for such height and length would not be cheap?

TOM GRAHAM

Andrew Road

Eynesbury