HOW dare Trafford Council have the audacity to attempt to charge me £35 this year for the collection from my property leaves that have fallen into my garden from the highway trees that line the road in which I live.

These mature trees are enormous and the consequence of their size means I have a large quantity of what in ‘council speak’ is now regarded as toxic waste and not fit for composting.

If this is so, Trafford Council have a duty of care to remove this toxic waste off the highways.

I further note that the street cleansing has been drastically reduced or has ceased.

This further aggravates the situation as the fallen leaves blow about and end up on my property.

Have I to commence a never ending retaliatory cycle of blowing these toxic leaves back onto the highway?

As advised they cannot be put into either my green or grey bin. The practice of contract garden services that I see never appear to remove garden waste off site - what will they do with it now?

My only course of action for the future is to refuse to pay this Waste Tax and hope that other Trafford residents do the same - thus causing the downfall of this ridiculous policy.

I remind Trafford council again of their duty of care in keeping our streets clean and toxic free.

Name and address supplied