It is a client process running constantly under Tuxedo, which invokes the script via the embedding code. I was under the impression that after it had run the script and exited using the code:

PUTBACK;
TMPS;
LEAVE;
[download]

would release the memory associated with perl.

Anyway I have changed everything over to  use strict and my and the probelm is still occuring.

I have now taken out the usless assignment - thanks for spotting that one... some old test code hanging around.

Anything else I should be checking?

Thanks