I RECEIVED Durham County News through my door on Tuesday.

It is so ironic that a publication which, on page 10, pleads poverty on behalf of the council must surely cost a fortune to print and distribute.

Elsewhere within this wasteful marketing magazine, reference is made to the green light being given to Durham History Centre.

Am I the only one who might question this venture given the recent DLI closure?

Apparently "consultation will take place over summer before the planning process", yet "the green light has already been given".

The magazine bleats on about not bagging your recycling, presumably to assist the gentle breeze ripping off the flimsy lids and scattering waste all over the street.

Apparently, we should look out for a helpful reminder sticker on these bins in the near future, I wonder at what cost.

Rather than putting up council tax and cutting services, if things are as tight as this magazine suggests, then surely it and the unpopular county hall plans should be shelved in order to preserve the critical front-line services that we can no longer afford.

M Raymond, Durham.