December 14, 2000 12:54: Only six days after launching its latest scheme to clean up the borough the council has written to one resident admitting that it can't afford to do the job.

Hillingdon Council recently announced its Report It scheme, encouraging residents to fill in yellow cards available throughout the borough highlighting areas of litter and other eyesores.

Council employees will then take action to resolve the problem and clear the rubbish apparently.

Butfor the past two years a pensioner who does not wished to be named and who lives in Oak Avenue, Ickenham, has been trying to have a huge, unsightly pile of rubbish removed from Ickenham Green. After many failed attempts to get some action, she now describes the Report It scheme as a 'laugh'.

"This has been going on for two years. They can't even tidy up the mess they already have," she said.

Ironically, the latest piece of correspondence received by the woman, a letter written by assistant parks officer David Lloyd, says the council was well aware of the rubbish, however 'little can be done at the moment due to the council's financial situation and the section 114 notice which is still in place. This work will be added to a list of future works when monies become available'.

The letter was dated November 27, six days after the council announced the Report It scheme.

The woman says she will not bother to fill in a Report It card because there was little point in having her concerns placed on another list.

Over the two-year period, the pensioner has written numerous letters and made repeated phone calls to council officers, who she says have done their best to avoid all cleaning up, except to wash their hands of her complaints.

A new fence has softened the harsh view from her back garden, however she said she did not know what avenue she would now take to have the rubbish removed, as the only attention it had received to date was from foxes and rats.

A Hillingdon Council spokeswoman said the Ickenham Green site was scheduled to be inspected yesterday (Wednesday).

However, she admitted that budget restraints could slow down the removal of the rubbish.