IN reply to the discussion about the rag and bone men.

Since when have they called round every day and on Sundays? Whereabouts in Barnton do you live?

I have lived in Barnton, at the end of Mond Street, for 23 years and have never known them to call every day including weekends.

In fact, the last two items I put out for their collection — a blown microwave and broken TV monitor, items deemed too large for the CWAC recycle box — took two weeks for the rag and bone men to pick up.

Yes, in answer to your question, their van was nearly full, so I think Barnton does generate a large amount of scrap metal to warrant them collecting it.

I think you must be mistaking the rag and bone men for the ice cream van which does call round on Sundays even sometimes in the depths of winter which, if a reputable business as you say, should also be putting mail flyers through people's doors, and in consideration of those who work weekend shifts, not be driving around with raucous music playing.

The chap who lives a few doors down from me has his own business and drives a white van that does not have any signs advertising his business — so why is not he also being subjected to such business monitoring?

I think the main objection is that the rag and bone men are generating an income for themselves from all this free scrap, which has a small but sizeable resale value if turned over in bulk to the scrap-metal dealers.

Perhaps CWAC should be offering a free collection service for metal scrap — then there will not be a problem for those of you who are troubled and disturbed Raine Alexander Barnton