IT has probably escaped your notice but on December 9 it is five months six if you add on the month's notice given since the disgraceful closure of Trowbridge Lifestyles, commonly known as Shopmobility.

During the early part of this period, West Wiltshire District Council stated it had refused the grant it had previously given because it believed the service could be run more economically.

Can I ask when they are opening the service again? After all, if it could be run for less than the £20,000 grant which had been requested, it would be a very small operation and would not require much planning to get started.

Is it possible the council is dragging it out?

I have noticed some of Shopmobility's customers have been forced to buy their own chairs.

So if and when the council opens a chair hire service there will be a reduction in the number of users and it can conveniently be deemed underused and closed down.

The council already owns the old Shopmobility's stock of chairs and buggies so it only requires a shop and someone to run it.

Not too much to ask?

DH PENNY

Clarendon Road

Trowbridge