THE article Rat control hindered by bad bird feeding' in the Andover Advertiser, 21 March, only reveals a small part of the reason behind the increase in the rat population.

The Friday evening programme on BBC 1 Inside Out' majored on the emergency of the Super Rat' and attributed the increase of the rat population to two factors.

The first reason is that rats have become resistant to the standard procedure of blood thinning poisons. The second reason for the increase was attributed to the huge amount of extra rubbish left outside houses that in many areas (the programme cited Oxford) now provided the rats with easy nourishment thus accelerated breeding.

Mrs Laura Taylor, the lady quoted in the Andover Advertiser article as responsible for environmental health, omitted any reference to the TVBC policy of waste collection and it seems to me, unfairly blames those caring bird lovers for the increased problem.

If anyone from the Environmental Health Department visited me, I would be delighted to take them around this area and show them the overflowing grey bins and the overflowing green commercial waste bin behind the local shops.

By the time the refuse lorry comes to empty the commercial bin, there is enough waste piled up beside this bin to fill another two similar bins.

The rats and no doubt the local cats rip open the overflow to get at the contents and the wind helps to spread this mess around the car park and flats of those who live in this particular area.

Some of us pass through this mess on the way into town and at times have to pick our way through that which has been spread about.

So Mrs Taylor, forget about blame and use your authority to rectify the situation. I have also just written to Councillor Gates about this particular problem.

Perhaps the rest of our elected councillors, of all parties, will back him and us, to get the sore problem of refuse and rats sorted, not just around here but across the area as a whole.

It is not good enough to use the excuse of budget for doing so little, there are other less important items in the council spend list that can be set aside I am sure; it is truly a matter of priorities and health must be at the top of our councils list. If it isn't, why not?

I hope that for those of us who care, there is a sensible, not political response to this letter that will lead to understanding rather than riposte.

C V Pain, Trajan Walk, Andover.