From what I understand, there are lots of car boot sales in the Peterborough area next to residential areas, where the same issues would occur. For example, the Peterborough United Football Club car boot sale is very close to the residents of Fletton.

Is Councillor Goldspink suggesting that all car boot sales should cease as a result?

The very same issues of noise and car parking are present at all busy car boot sales.

I would like to understand why Mr D'Alessio appears to have been singled out from all other car boot operators in the city.

I have attended car boot sales at the Wirrina on many occasions and have always found Mr D'Alessio to be very pleasant and approachable. It would be wrong for Cllr Goldspink to raise his concerns with The Evening Telegraph first without raising concerns with Mr D'Alessio, who clearly knew nothing about this.

If Mr D'Alessio wishes to continue with his car boot sales, at which to my knowledge there has never been any trouble, and moreover it brings a flair and buzz to an area which on car boot days becomes thriving then I will back Mr D'Alessio every step of the way. I don't see why Mr D'Alessio should be unfairly targeted.

I have personally seen lots of traffic wardens in that area fining people for parking on the grass verges and I am certain that in addition to any rent that Mr D'Alessio pays to the council this would be quite a lucrative deal for the council.

I would have thought that promoting small businesses would be a high priority for the council given the financial difficulties we are all facing at the minute.

Cllr Goldspink – I for one would like to know how much rent Mr D'Alessio pays, and how much is earned through parking fines for the council.

I would also like firm evidence of your claims that the grass verges are being damaged and how much this will cost to maintain. I am certain that rent, plus parking fines, minus maintenance, equals loads of money that the council cannot afford to lose.

I hope that Mr D'Alessio gets in contact with an MP or councillor who genuinely promotes small businesses who can shame Cllr Goldspink for not only suggesting such an archaic notion but also for not giving Mr D'Alessio the chance to discuss it with him. The trouble is some councillors appear to abuse their position. I for one will be supporting Mr D'Alessio all the way.
Mrs Lina Killick

We don't hae to accept sight loss
Research Into Ageing, the biomedical research arm of Help the Aged, warmly welcomes the fact that World Sight Day this year (on October 9) is highlighting the importance of fighting vision impairment in later life – a subject which has, for far too long, been dismissed as "just" an inevitable part of ageing. This leads to age-related failing sight often being overlooked and under-reported.

It's high time we got away from the outdated view that sight loss is an unavoidable consequence of getting older.