COULD someone tell me what is happening to Salisbury? It is starting to look like something out of a Charles Dickens novel, a 19th century slum.

The whole city is a disgrace. It is an embarrassment to say that you are from Salisbury. The streets are filthy, there is litter everywhere, bin bags piled high, bins overflowing and the smell is horrendous.

I have a picture of Minster Street from 1829 and I must say the street looks a lot cleaner than is does now and back then there was an open sewer running through it. Where are the street cleaners? I have witnessed one particular cleaner actually stepping over the litter rather than picking it up.

The council are trying to promote tourism to the city. The council would rather people use the Park and Ride Sites, this is a joke? The Wilton Site for example is like a jungle. When stood waiting for the bus you expect Bill Oddie to jump out and talk about the nature living there. The waiting area it is absolute filth, what must visitors think?

When arriving to the city the pavements are stained, covered in chewing gum and on a Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning it is a case of dodge the takeaways from the night before.

What about the gathering of the undesirables outside the Library and Poultry cross, drinking and fighting with one another? Where is the no alcohol policy in the city? Why is it not being enforced? The council in their wisdom have switched off the CCTV, why? Salisbury has become a thieves’ paradise and that is evident from reading the Journal each week.

As a local businessman in Salisbury something needs to be done. I have spoken to fellow business people in the city and they are all saying the same. The state of the city is having an effect on business. If it continues there will not be any businesses left, Salisbury will become a no-go area.

Wake up Salisbury City Council and do something before it is too late. Stop worrying about making pedestrian areas everywhere and making one-way systems, which create more chaos in the city and concentrate on the cleanliness of the city. and supporting local business.

Lord Salt, Dinton