AS Wiltshire police struggle to cut millions from their luxurious budget, they squander thousands of pounds on promotional material for their trolley token scheme.

No doubt they will be looking to cover the cost of this failed fiasco from the 15p premium rate charge that we are now required to pay for the privilege to talk to them when we suffer from the crime they have failed to curb.

Perhaps their public relations staff (a good target for redundancy) will explain how it can be cheaper to pay 15p per call rather than have the cost absorbed within our prepaid phone packages, most of which would include a local number in the free call allowance or charge about 1p per minute.

How long does it take to phone Wiltshire Police and be given a crime number? There will be little other action.

One can’t really expect any other response from an organisation that resorts to this measure to raise money.

Gordon Hayward Red Barn Wroughton

What’s the truth?

TO reply to the letter from Anne Snelgrove (Adver, October 12), she lives in the dark glasses world of so many Labour supporters.

I have read what I put on her blog site and nothing was, or could be read, as an insult, only questions on her statements of her “truth”.

For instance, she said the closure of the Morrisons depot and the loss of jobs was down to Government decisions and showed the recession was not over, but the truth is, Morrisons closed the depot and moved to its new huge depot in Bridgewater.

Did she question the same facts when B&Q opened its new store at South Marston and closed two depots in Bristol and Coventry, or when the Co-op announced it was going to build a new bigger depot in Bristol and when it opened, smaller depots in Bristol and Gloucester would close?

When she blamed, more or less, David Cameron for the phone hacking scandal, because of his links to Rupert Murdoch, she didn’t mention that Tony Blair was godfather to Murdoch’s daughter’s child, nor did she mention that all of that took place under Labour’s watch and they did nothing at the time, I do have my MP’s email address and his House of Commons address and often converse with him on different matters which affect me.

T Reynolds Wheeler Avenue Swindon

Check your facts

T Reynolds wrote on October 11 regarding Anne Snelgrove.

For someone who obviously has strong views on the political scene in Swindon, it seems odd that he doesn’t know that Mrs Snelgrove is in fact the Labour Party candidate for the South Swindon constituency and not the North Swindon “ward” as he states in his letter.

Getting such key facts wrong when writing to a newspaper for all to see probably gives a good indication as to the value of his comments on Mrs Snelgrove’s blog.

Chris O’Brien Risingham Mead Westlea Swindon

Give bats credit

DOES anybody know the latest on the saga of the bats in the old college building, which are holding up the demolition of the dangerous eyesore?

I assume the bat lovers responsible for this situation credit the little fellows with no sense and believe they are better equipped to find alternative accommodation than are the bats themselves.

Surely the moment demolition starts, the bats will take the hint and set off in search of bat Shangri La.

They might try the Mechanics Institute, which seems destined to be in an eternal state of dereliction, or the Locarno, which faces a similar future.

One thing I am sure of is that the trauma of being trapped and moved to a site not of their choosing will cause more mental stress to the bats than the noise that will accompany demolition.

I bet the rats, which no doubt share the accommodation with the bats, will adopt their sinking ship practice and leg it to pastures new with thanks they do not attract the attention of animal lovers. Ron Riches Northampton Street Swindon

A twist of fate?

Imagine my absolute incredulity when on the morning you printed my letter congratulating Dave Absalom on his promotion to tree officer, two of his tree pruners cut down the only remaining street trees in Norman Road.

What is even more ironic is that it was he who suggested the fastigiate rowans as the most suitable trees when I campaigned for street trees over 20 years ago, and eventually six were planted.

Unfortunately four were vandalised within a week and had to be removed, the remaining two had grown into fine healthy trees.

I can imagine no reason why these healthy trees were destroyed without any consultation with the residents or local councillors.

This was an act of sheer vandalism and all concerned should be ashamed of and the trees replaced at once.

Steve Thompson Norman Road Swindon

Drivers to blame

On October 11, I was nearly knocked off my bike, at lunchtime, in the daylight.

The driver of the car didn’t look right to give way to me as I was going along Moredon Road towards the Rodbourne Arms. I swerved into the road.

I have ridden a bike all my life and I won’t be put off. I am 68 years old and was going to visit my new grandson.

With so many people moaning about riding on paths, you are not safe with the drivers today. They never indicate at roundabouts and they never seem to see cyclists. They are all in such a hurry.

They pass their tests, and then do what they like.

Mrs M Brown Purton Road Swindon

Quiet donations

Charity fundraising – that’s more my cup of tea.

I would like to offer my congratulations to Macmillan Cancer Support on the success of their recent coffee morning.

This is a sociable and considerate way of raising money for a good cause – unlike the approach by Redlands Airfield, whose noisy antics can be heard from the centre of Swindon and beyond.

The distressing, inescapable noise of the relentless skydiving brings unbearable psychological discomfort to the lives of hundreds of residents across east Swindon and the surrounding villages.

Returning to my MacMillan reference: at least when they raise charitable funds we do not have to endure the thunderous noise of urns being brewed mercilessly by thrill-seeking coffee-drinkers, from dawn until dusk or from 9.15am until 9.45pm, as flew Skydive London on Saturday, June 11.

I have more respect for people whose generous donations are made quietly.

Give money to worthy causes not out of obligation – the repayment of your debt of gratitude because they’ve done something for you first, not to reward your heroism for sitting in a bath full of baked beans or jumping out of an aeroplane.

Just give them your money because you think they’re worthy of it.

The word is not “amazing”, it’s not “a once-in-a-lifetime experience”. It’s ALTRUISM.

Miss G Eaving Covingham

EU cracks us up

THE EU has banned eggs produced from battery cage hens from January 1, 2012.

But it looks as though Britain is the only country that takes any notice of these directives.

But it means British industry suffers the most damage.

This will mean a substantial rise in the price of eggs in the shops in Britain.

Steve Halden Beaufort Green Swindon