FIRSTLY let me acknowledge that I fully appreciate the need to keep members of the public and staff safe at the town’s recycling centres.

However I did take some offence to the criticism directed to people who have been going to the tips to responsibly dispose of their waste, especially the comments made about them taking the opportunity to do spring cleaning and have a clear out.

I would like to highlight to the council official that made the comments in your article that the mental health charity MIND actually recommends spring cleaning and being in your garden as a couple of activities you can do to keep your mind healthy during the lock down.

I visited Gatewarth tip last week and there was a small orderly queue of around four cars who waited politely until the member of staff waved them through.

I, along with others, observed social distancing and all staff on site had PPE.

The article suggests people were behaving in a reckless manner and threatening to staff which I object to.

It is likely that people visiting the tips were no doubt taking the Government’s advice to stay home seriously and doing jobs around their home/garden; they were not jumping in the car and driving to the Lake District or the beach for their ‘daily exercise’.

I’m sure everyone believed that they were acting responsibly by disposing their rubbish promptly and in the right place.

CALLANDS RESIDENT