12:16pm Wednesday 20th January 2010
SIR, My neighbour has a penchant for burning rubbish in his back garden.
Remarkably, but not entirely surprisingly in this country, the law is partly on his side, and rubbish is allowed to be burned, unless it causes a nuisance.
As I have a permanently-open vent through the wall of my house, in keeping with the safety rules governing the installation of gas-fired central-heating ystems, I cannot prevent the acrid fumes entering my roperty.
On one occasion I had to consult my GP with a serious throat and chest infection. Could not the law be altered so that no burning at all is allowed without first applying and paying for a special licence, valid only on the day of the intended burning.
Then the person applying for the licence could be held responsible for informing immediate neighbours when the burning would occur.
This would go a long way to preventing one's living-room becoming suddenly charged with smoke fumes as happened to me on the January 3.
Dispensation could be offered to burn fires in every garden of the realm on November 5 but, for the rest of the year - licences, please!
Cinderella (name and address supplied)
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