I was born in Weymouth and lived there for many years. I now mostly live in London but still regularly travel to Weymouth.

In 2006 I noticed that the Radipole Park tennis courts, on which I used to play what seemed like eternally long matches with my uncle and friends, had become unacceptably run down.

That was five years ago. At the time, I made a note to myself to keep an eye on the situation, but was optimistic the disrepair would be readily dealt with.

After all, the courts used to be serviced as and when needed by the council and are one of the first public sites a visitor to Weymouth sees as they pull into the railway station.

Now, as I say, I haven’t visited Weymouth for a few weeks, but the last time I was in town I rather angrily noticed those same courts were now practically derelict and are an affront to the eye.

Considering the Olympics (and therefore international exposure) is coming to Weymouth next year and, more importantly, the pride a borough should take in its public facilities, this situation is brazenly symptomatic of the disease that is the mis-allocation of local resources, currently besetting councils and boroughs across our county and country.

Although comparisons often are odious, one can go to public courts in Camberwell or Brixton in London, for example, and find them in an eminently better condition than the Radipole Park courts I refer to.

It is embarrassing for the town and its residents to have the council ignore such structural decay in our midst.

Indeed, it is insulting for the council to treat the people of Weymouth and Portland with such little respect, as to totally ignore for so long the extreme disrepair of these once attractive tennis courts.

Of course, having not been to Weymouth for a few weeks, it may be the borough council has finally started repair work on the courts, and that this missive is no longer necessary.

But I very much doubt it. In which case, the affront persists and time is running out.

Leigh-Alexander Austin

Albany Road

Kennington

London