DON’T LET THE BUGS BITE!

good I got to hospital when I did, because a few hours later and it could have been very serious.

After the nine days of drips, he put me on another seven days of oral antibiotics. At the time of writing, the pain has gone, and swelling in my thigh and upper calf has gone, but swelling in my lower calf and foot is still more than noticeable.

The best theory is that whatever bit me was probably a horse fly or a spider. So, the moral of all this is don’t be complacent – if you see an insect, you don’t like the look of, beware!!

Ironically, a week ago we opened a container full of mushrooms from a supermarket and crawling about on them was a long green caterpillar. Some of the really poisonous critters could well be coming into the UK from other continents.

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While we were in Orihuela Costa, last winter and spring, we were appalled at the neglect inflicted on the area by the local council. Rubbish left uncollected around waste bins in the street, weeds growing in the gutters, garden bins never emptied and the same with recycle bins, making you wonder why on earth you bother to recycle.

Add to that the ridiculous plague of home building going on everywhere, adding to the already exploding population without any regard to the need to improve the infrastructure, roads, sewerage network, hospital and doctor care and other essentials needed for comfortable modern living.

Well, sad to say, it’s as bad, if not worse in the UK. It’s as if the UK government have caught Orihuela Costa disease. Where we live, there is building going on everywhere, fields converted to housing estates, traffic jams caused because of services being brought in, digging up all the roads. On bin collection days seagulls have a field day, ripping up bin bags and throwing rubbish everywhere. Public refuse sites are overflowing, caused because the recycling sites are closed more than they are open.

Councils were overjoyed when environmentalists suggested grass verges along the sides or roads should be left uncut. It meant councils could save a fortune on road maintenance. Can you imagine anything still living along road edges with traffic constantly travelling inches away?. Yet another load of total money-saving nonsense.

Sides of roads have not been touched for months, and the result? Trees and bushes growing over road signs, and those which are visible are covered with green algae. White lines on roads? Forget it. They haven’t been re-painted for months, so it is really dangerous to drive at night, especially if it’s raining. Pot holes? Britain has almost the worst in Europe.

Orihuela Council has cut council services to provide more money for the city. The UK government have cut services – to the NHS, education, public services, to local councils, road building programme. You name it, the

Two new officers for San Fulgencio Local Police

San Fulgencio has increased the number of itís Local Police staff thanks to the incorporation of two new officers, from the employment pool, following the selection process carried out by the Council of Catral. The officers join the 24 members that currently make up the local police municipal force.

Tory government has axed spending on it for years, just to cut raising taxes to the rich and it’s now hitting the UK dearly.

If you put off maintaining your own home, it only costs far more in the long run. It’s the same with running the country, the people in the UK are now really paying the price for a lack of maintenance caused through stupid Tory spending cuts.

The mayor and the councillor for Security, JosÈ MarÌa Ballester, along with the chief commissioner, CristÛbal RodrÌguez, welcomed and congratulated the two new agents at the Town Hall. The mayor spoke of "their responsibility to work for our town and protect our residents", while noting his commitment "to continue to gradually expand the staff to ensure the safety of everyone, as well as more efficient and faster interventions in the event of an emergency".