Sir, – May I, in response to Richmondshire District Council comment re the selling of the "open register" to third parties (D&S report, Oct 10), say that I take the greatest possible exception to the implication that I, personally, give out my address willy-nilly. I am, in fact, extremely careful to whom I give my details, and even more so as far as my e-mail address is concerned.

There is a telling sentence in the letter I received from Tony Clark, the Electoral Registration Officer, with

regard to their having taken my name off the open register. He writes: 'We have processed your request to change your preference for appearing on the open register.'

Has there been a change in the definition of the word preference which I have missed? I have never expressed a "preference" for appearing on this open register. I don't think that I had any say in the matter whatsoever.

I am still getting charity envelopes, again from totally unknown organisations. I do believe that some charities swap addresses among themselves. I'm not sure how many registered charities there are in the country, but I'm beginning to think that I hear from every one of them. Many other people have told me that they are similarly bombarded.

But I can cope ... just. Yesterday however, I heard of an elderly lady who, having worked with children in Africa, has been sending something to every charity supporting such work. Unfortunately, she has Alzheimers and was on the point of bankruptcy when her bank manager alerted her family to what was happening.

Surely it is time that some measures were put in place to stop this constant, unrequested bombardment of begging letters. There are organisations to whom I have never, ever given anything, yet I still continue to receive letters containing cards, pens, bags, even coins.

The term "charity fatigue" was coined, I believe, to express people's despair at not being able to help every time there was a major disaster. Have we now reached "charity overload" where we simply cannot cope with the constant pressure?

And if the local council has any part in this then I trust that it will rapidly cease. I understand that the council makes little more that a thousand pound a year from selling on these open registers. Is that sufficient justification for a practice which seems to me almost to infringe my civil liberties?

DAPHNE CLARKE

Reeth Road, Richmond,