ASK DIARMUID

QIn June, a lady called Joyce Spurgeon wrote to you, asking you how she could stop cats leaving their mess in her garden. Sadly, we have the same problem.

One of the suggestions you gave was to half fill a plastic bottle with water and leave it in the middle of the lawn.

Could you elaborate on this for us? Can you use any size plastic bottle? Do you leave the cap on or off? Do you leave it in one place on the grass, or move it around the lawn? We would really appreciate your help on this. Grahame and Tracey Christopher-scott

AUse a 1.5 or 2-litre plastic bottle, such as an empty large bottle of cola, and remove any labels. Half fill with water and put the lid on.

You don’t need to move it around the lawn. It’s not clear why this works but many people swear by it. Good luck.