I am not a whinging Australian or a moaning ex-pat Brit but I feel Brighton and Hove City Council is derelict in its duty to the community.

I have recently returned from a visit to Brighton after an elapse of some three years.

I was born in Brighton and lived there or thereabouts until 1970 when I travelled to Australia initially for a holiday but liked it so much that I stayed.

My family still lives in Sussex and I visit the UK every few years and invariably visit Brighton to look up old friends.

What has become noticeable since my last visit is the down-at-heel nature of this once-beautiful city.

It appears to have degraded like some blowsy old dowager whose claim to fame lies in years gone by.

Its once fabulous and carefully tended gardens - especially round Old Steine are but a shadow of their former selves and now resemble a dust bowl.

I know they experienced little rain in recent months after a long, hot summer but this is no excuse.

The pavements are marred with chewing gum and other substances. The shop signage - which once conveyed a message of quality now screams "cheap and cheerful".

Churchill Square, which is supposed to be the focus of retailing in the city, is a joke if you compare it with other centres around the world.

Even East Street, which was the home of upmarket fashion, is tatty in the extreme. Pool Valley, once a hive of activity, is not even a shadow of its former self.

I won't even try to express my opinion of Western Road, West Street, North Road etc.

The West Pier's remains continue as a major eyesore and Embassy Lodge defies description.

So, what is the council doing to return Brighton to somewhere near its former glory?

Brighton, where is you conscience? Where is your esprit de corps? Please wake up and, if your existing council is not prepared to do something about it, find people who can and will.

-Martin White, Camp Hill, Queensland, Australia