I AM responding to Chris Harrison's letter (July 23) about my recent letter in the Weston Mercury and wish to clarify my position, as I feel some of his comments need a response.

I AM responding to Chris Harrison's letter (July 23) about my recent letter in the Weston Mercury and wish to clarify my position, as I feel some of his comments need a response.

Firstly I clean up this area around Madeira Cove because I care about where I live and to help the environment, not for commendations.

Secondly, I only used the words 'there is nothing we can do' because those were the words used by one of the CCTV operators who I called when I reported vandals smashing things up. I was then told to call the police and the CCTV operator reported that he had the vandals on camera. It was then up to me to call the police as he could not! This was the point I was making.

However, since then, I have had reason to contact CCTV because of vandalism taking place again and the operators were most helpful, called the police and the police responded within three minutes. I appreciate that the police are doing all they can to stop this antisocial behaviour.

When I was a member of the Flower Power Working Party run by Weston Town Council l unofficially adopted this area to look after it. I reported many instances of vandalism, graffiti and criminal damage, as advised by members of the local authority.

At this time I was given over 70 CCTV cards (with a contact number on) and encouraged to give them out to people to help them report vandalism. A friend and I then gave these cards out to the hotels and houses around the area. This is hardly something an irresponsible person would do.

Thirdly, the problems around this area are not caused by a mindless few. They are caused by lots of vandals and a lot of them drinking. If the large amount of criminal damage that has been caused has been perpetuated by a mindless few, as Mr Harrison has stated, then it is a shame they are still doing so and getting away with it.

As I write, a large group of loud and swearing young people has been at Madeira Cove for the past hour and a half, under the mentioned camera, uprooting flowers and throwing them about. Which brings us full circle to the original reason why I wrote in the first place. That there are lots of broken bottles and rubbish in the area and there will continue to be so. We should not rely on cameras to make people take responsibility for their antisocial ways, it should be something they are automatically brought up with.

DEAN HARRIS

Manilla Crescent

Weston