Last week, it took me an hour and 20 minutes to get out of Central Car Park (3pm to 4.20pm) in Farnham.

I appreciate there was an unfortunate accident in South Street, which temporarily caused a backlog, adding to the chaos caused by the roadworks, but the traffic system just cannot cope with any slight issue.

Dare I say: it is potentially dangerous, as this incident has perhaps proved.

The thought of this disruption going on for two years is unbearable. And I’m not a small business owner in town. It must be crippling for businesses like them.

Everyone who was stuck with me in the car park today was equally, if not more, frustrated.

Most people were saying they’re going to be avoiding Farnham from now on. Surely a rethink is in order?

Tamsin Styles

Farnham

It is 6.30pm on August Bank Holiday Monday. I stroll around Petersfield’s town centre.

The overflowing, dirty litter bins are rude, gaping open mouthed, as if they are about to vomit the day’s guzzling, along with yesterday’s gorging, onto the streets of this loveliest of English towns.

There is litter here and there along the pavements. Many kerbsides are lined with cigarette butts and other small pieces of debris. These kerbsides should be swept a few times each week at least but obviously are not.

In an attempt to keep our town looking presentable at least. I, along with a few other volunteers had litter picked much of the town centre that morning, knowing that East Hampshire Norse were not going to be emptying Petersfield’s town centre litter bins that day. But we cannot empty the bins too. We are only volunteers without the big machinery of the local authority.

So why don’t East Hampshire Norse do bin emptying and litter picking on a Bank Holiday Monday? Is it all part of the non-transparent deal between East Hampshire District Council and Norse? They should come clean on that one, publish the full deal and tell everyone how much Norse is being paid for what is a poor service. Otherwise, adverse speculation can only ensue.

Is the problem within the East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) one of money? Of course, they will say that it is. But it is also a problem of management and the lack of will to keep our town looking pristine.

There seems to be no leadership, no joined-up thinking, no educating the people and certainly few, if any, penalties for litter bugs and those who would spoil our lovely town.

I have to pose the question: Have the powers-that-be in EHDC any pride at all in their patch, in our part of Hampshire and in our town of Petersfield? Is it not their duty to keep our public places and streets clean, free of litter and grime and rubbish? Also, overflowing dirty bins must draw rats.

This neglect has been going on for years. I and other volunteers have been having to fill in the gaps where our local authorities have failed. I litter pick out of a sense of shame. I dread to think what people from other countries think of us. But also, isn’t it good for a peoples’ morale if their streets and roadsides are kept clean and tidy.

Glenn McLernon

Petersfield

So, Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage talks the talk yet again when it comes to immigration.

This is so easy to do in opposition. Hence, yet again, Farage gives no detail of how he would walk the walk as regards his latest pipe dream!

For example, how would Farage deal with people from Afghanistan who are fleeing the Taliban?

How would Farage encourage communities to have detention centres on their doorstep?

Which military bases would Farage use for holding asylum seekers?

And how would Farage find the £10 billion to fund his policy?

The answer yet again is either I don’t know or pure silence.

Geoffrey Brooking

Saxley Court

Havant

Pakistan’s monsoon season always brings heavy rain, but this year’s storms have been unusually intense. Rare cloudbursts - sudden downpours dumping over 100mm of rain in just one hour - have triggered flash floods in the northwest, sweeping through mountain villages and causing widespread destruction.

Local communities are used to monsoon rains, but the intensity and speed of these cloudbursts caught people off guard - destroying homes and sweeping away entire villages.

Tens of thousands of people are affected. Homes have been crushed by flood water and landslides. People have described watching everything they own being washed away or buried.

At ShelterBox, we specialise in emergency shelter and have responded to flooding in Pakistan before.

We have a team in the country with another team arriving in Islamabad in the coming days to work with Islamic Relief Pakistan (IRP) on how best to support people displaced.

We’re getting ready to respond with emergency shelter, which families urgently need. We have shelter and other essential items available in Pakistan and Dubai so we’re ready to respond in these moments, given how vulnerable the country is to climate change as extreme weather becomes more frequent and more intense.

Though Pakistan contributes less than 1 percent of global emissions, it faces increasingly extreme weather events that threaten lives and homes - especially in remote, mountainous areas.

It’s peak monsoon season and more heavy rain is expected. We’ll be looking at shelter repair kits, which include items like tarpaulins and rope, so people can make temporary repairs to damaged homes. People also need items like water filters, water carriers, and mosquito nets, especially with the increased risk of disease after flooding.

To support, or find out more, please visit www.shelterbox.org

Haroon Altaf

Regional Director

ShelterBox