I note with horror council tax in East Sussex is likely to go up by as much as 35 per cent.

This is completely unacceptable and the reasons are even more unacceptable, being that the Government is drastically reducing its payment to East Sussex by as much as £45 million to help fund the North East.

I am in band D and live in Peacehaven. For the past seven years, increases in council tax have averaged 8 per cent a year - well above inflation and cancelling out any increase in pensions.

This is bad enough but, to make it worse, spending in the town is reduced each year and the place is deteriorating.

Millions need to be spent on roads. Paths need resurfacing and kerbs are in a terrible state, many missing. Roads are never cleaned except when there is a gale so the rubbish finishes up in our gardens.

Our rubbish is collected regularly but no bags or bins are supplied. I have seen one policeman on foot in two years and I walk in the area nearly every day since retiring.

We have no swimming pool. money collected years ago was taken for the pool at Newhaven.

If the Government needs more money, it should be brave and raise income tax on the higher-paid rather than by another stealth tax of reducing payments to local authorities.

-Derek E Mead, Horsham Avenue, Peacehaven