On Sunday morning, bright and early, a team of street cleaners were at work along Brighton's Western Road. That's the good news.

The bad news is seagulls were also at work on the overflowing wheelie bins parked outside the restaurants and take-aways. So the street cleaners' work was largely in vain.

There is no chance of a cleaner city centre until Brighton and Hove City Council accepts responsibility for collecting waste from food outlets every day of the year.

Of course, there will be a large bill to pay but businesses are already having to pay private contractors who may or may not turn up to disturb the work of the gulls. Much better they pay the council to co-ordinate collections.

  • Trevor Pateman, Western Road, Brighton