SOME years ago I ran a campaign through your letters page to promote an awareness of the increasing problem of dog excrement and litter around the Jumbles, Wayoh and Entwistle reservoirs.

As a result, there were increased warden patrols and the installation of litter and excrement bins was initiated with gratifying results.

Alas, it was with a heavy heart that I recently learned from notices at the Jumbles that the authorities were advising walkers to take litter and dog excrement home.

This was because the cost of removing it from the bins and subsequent separation from other waste and disposal was too expensive.

When I returned one glorious spring morning recently from doing the Entwistle reservoir circular walk, I sat on a seat by the edge of the dam.

While admiring the view, I was disgusted to see a collection of at least six polythene bags strewn around the seat which were filled with dog excrement.

Subsequent examination of the other reservoirs has confirmed that these bags of excrement are being disposed of, in some cases, by adorning the trees and bushes along the route.

Having recently received my ever- inflating water bill, and in the knowledge that the fees gleaned from the pay car parks at Jumbles and Entwistle were supposed to be ploughed back into reservoir infrastructure for the benefit of the public, it disgusts me that in a so-called civilised society, we cannot even provide litter and excrement facilities around even the reservoir from which we draw our drinking water.

As things stand at present, I would be acutely embarrassed to introduce a visitor to our town to the reservoir circuit which, for local tourism, should be the jewel in our crown.

Dr I G V James Spring House Surgery Chorley Old Road, Bolton