DEAR EDITOR - As a rent payer in Bromsgrove, I was absolutely disgusted to read that the housing department at Bromsgrove District Council uses my rent to provide free laundry facilities to sheltered housing tenants.

Not all elderly, not disabled, not young families stuck in flats with no washing lines - but the privileged few who already get cheap meals, warden service, days out, bingo and goodness knows what else. How can this be fair?

This is not the case anywhere else in the country.

The housing department should be using the rent to provide and maintain housing - nothing else. If elderly people require help with anything else social services should provide it.

In the same edition of your paper I was informed the district council cannot afford to keep it council housing stock. It has to be transferred and my rent will go up even more - well I'm not surprised - what other irrelevant and inappropriate services have the councillors decided the rent should pay for?

Let the rents pay for the housing service, nothing else. Any other service should be paid for by the people who will be using it!

Julie Newey,

Charford resident.