I REALLY consider more effort should have been shown for the elderly in the planning for the 2021 census. There was an assumption that everybody had a computer.

I assisted two elderly neighbours in requesting a hard copy for them to use a week before March 21.

Census day came and went but still the hard copies had not arrived. At 8pm on the 23rd, I received a frantic call from my 88-year-old neighbour that a lady with a large sign covering her chest advised her that you would be fined £1,000 if you did not complete the census.

My other 88-year-old neighbour turned up at my door the following morning telling me about a similar visit from a lady advising him to “get it completed, it only takes a couple of minutes”.

Calling on any person in darkness when dressed in high-vis with a mask on is quite frightening but to the elderly very frightening.

No guidance was given, or information sought as to why they had not completed the form. When I contacted the census office to speed up the delivery of the hard copies, they were surprised that the “census lady” did not give them a copy or assist in any way.

SUE STOCKLEY

Bashley Cross Road, New Milton