SIR - While agreeing with Mrs McKay and Jason Smith (T&A, January 4) that the street warden service performs a very useful function, their ire should be directed towards the "clunking fist" Gordon Brown.

He announced, amid a fanfare of trumpets, that he was providing funding to councils to set up a street warden system.

Then, in typical fashion he has withdrawn it in the hope that council taxpayers will pick up the tab.

This would be another burden on the elderly, already struggling, who were given money to help alleviate the increases in council tax, again for one year only.

Just another case of smoke and mirrors from a useless government.

Geoffrey Holmes, The Grove, Idle, Bradford