THE following was overheard as a colleague stood in the queue at a St John's store.

A couple of street drinkers stood clutching their favourite tipple and were obviously put out by the fact that their trip to the bench in Hylton Road was being delayed because of the number of people who needed serving.

One said to the other: "Why aren't these people at work?" The son of a colleague couldn't figure out whether it was a genuine query or a wind-up - but still calculated that, thanks to taxpayers like him, an afternoon's al fresco session on the vodka was guaranteed.

Of course, the coming of the warmer weather heralds the beginning of the shouting season.

I received a mouthful only the other day. Obviously, there isn't a copper to be seen for miles, so all you can do is walk on by and hope that someone in authority will one day decide to do something about it.