I was born and raised in Hayes and lived there for more than 20 years until I moved away 10 years ago.

Last week, I visited for the first time since I left and I have to say I was horrified by what I saw. I cannot tell you how much I was looking forward to showing my wife, who had never previously been to the area, what a nice place it was.

But what I saw can be summed up in one word neglect. I'm not just talking about the closed shops, I expected them we all know that the area hasn't been doing so well financially for a long time.

No, what really upset me was the state of the streets and houses. Litter was strewn everywhere. I admit it was windy and that made it look so much worse, but the point is that the litter was there anyway. And the houses were dirty and ramshackle. Come on Hayes, show the world your true qualities.

Liam Allen

Brighton