A FEW weeks ago, my wheelie bin was stolen, so I phoned the council to buy a new one. Until then I had not realised how totally inefficient our local council was.

I was told by the council department involved that I would have to fill in a form and return it together with my cheque for £30 and then it would take five to 10 days to deliver a new wheelie bin.

This conversation took place on Thursday morning at 9am. Silly me, I was expecting to receive the said form Friday morning. It did not arrive, nor did it arrive with the Saturday post.

I then thought maybe I would be lucky Monday, but no. So I phoned the council again, only to be asked "hold on please while we check".

I held and I held until the phone went dead. I then tried to contact them again only to be met with the engaged tone. This went on for ages until I got fed up. Tuesday's post came and went without a wheelie bin form arriving on my doorstep.

By this time my patience was wearing thin so I endeavoured to phone them once again. Hooray, hooray I managed to speak to someone. I asked about my form. I was told that the form had been sent from the Environmental Services Department on Thursday but only as far as their post room.

Now you would expect the post room to have sent it out on Friday but wait for it, apparently post cannot be sent out from the post room on a Friday so it had to languish until Monday.

The council officer was at a loss as to why I had not received it by Tuesday but maybe I'd be lucky and get it Wednesday.

To rub salt into my already bleeding wounds she now informed me that I could pay by credit card over the phone where upon I would not need to fill in any forms. I'll just leave it up to your imagination as to what I think of West Wiltshire District Council.

DENNIS SONNET,

Timbrell Street,

Trowbridge.