Instead of needlessly frightening local people, Conservative Councillor Brian Mudge see last week's Wiltshire Times would be well advised to read the national press a little more thoroughly.

This week all the 'serious' papers have carried stories of the evidence that the independent Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has given the Local Government Minister, Nick Raynesford. CIPFA went on record to say that Local Income Tax was a realistic option to the unpopular council tax. Local Income Tax was seen as a strong sustainable and fairer source of funding for local services.

A few days ago, I asked a prominent local Conservative other than Brian Mudge how he felt about the Warminster pensioners protesting against local Conservative councils increasing the council tax again. His response was, "That's easily dealt with. We just blame it on Central Government".

When I asked him what was the Conservatives' alternative to the council tax, he just looked blank. This strikes a similar theme within Brian Mudge's letter. That is, absolutely no alternatives are ever offered.

Instead we get totally unfounded scare stories about local income tax, when, in reality, well-respected professional organisations such as CIPFA agree that it would be a fair and realistic way of raising money for local services.

This lack of any Conservative alternative to the council tax initially puzzled me. Then I remembered that it was none other than Michael Howard who introduced the hated poll tax back in the 1980s.

No wonder Brian and his Tory friends are keeping quiet about their real alternative.

Jeff Osborn

Deputy Leader

Wiltshire County Council Liberal Democrats

I HAVE just had my water bill and found it has gone up by 10 per cent and I hear the council tax is going up by seven per cent or around that much. How does this government expect the poor pensioners to pay out this type of money? After all they only got a 1.3 per cent rise. After this government's performance I now think that we are in close proximity of being a dictatorship.

FRANK GRIMMER

Trowbridge