AN elderly gentleman who is ill asked me to burn a small amount of garden rubbish for him.

So one Saturday, I lit it at about 8.20pm. There was no wind and the smoke when straight up with no bother to anyone.

Then a builder came banging on my front door shouting and bawling about the fire in my garden. When I said I did not have a fire in my garden, he jumped over my fence, went down my garden and said: "Where is it?"

I replied it was in a garden nearby. He said he was going to kick it all over.

I replied: "You're not, you leave it alone." He then gave me a few more words.

I went to see the gentleman concerned in case he went round to his house but then a fire engine arrived for a so-called out-of-control fire. All these firemen had to be called in at a cost of £200 plus.

The number of the person who rang the fire service should be on file.

The call out was unnecessary.

K Frank,

Calf Close,

Haxby,

York.

Updated: 10:05 Tuesday, July 05, 2005