I gather we have a "communications officer" in Brighton and Hove, though I have never fathomed what he or she actually does.

I appreciate there were likely to be some "teething problems" with the refuse collection changes but am somewhat bemused by the communication problems we have encountered locally.

In The Argus (August 3), we read Amanda Brace (just a few streets away) encountered binmen on Thursday morning, looking for rubbish and adamant they were there on the correct day, despite the street having been notified postally of a change to Fridays.

There was apparently a simultaneous apology from the refuse service for being a day late, as the collection should have been on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, a few yards away in my street, we've had no postal notification of any changes and had put out our rubbish for a Tuesday collection as normal.

I know this lack of notification applied to at least three streets because I am watering plants and feeding cats for several holidaying Hanover households. The binmen actually came to my home on Saturday.

This is a very densely populated area, particularly prone to nesting seagulls and scavenging foxes and cats. The streets are a mess because the bags are torn to bits and refuse is scattered everywhere.

I have a visitor from abroad staying with me and she is appalled by the state of the streets.

So please, Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Communications Officer, which day are we supposed to put our rubbish out in the Hanover area? Is it Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday?

-Jane Launchbury, Hanover, Brighton