HATS off to Frank Avenell for spearheading the campaign for Fairness for Pensioners with regard to threatened council tax increases.

He asks two questions which have been asked many times before but no answer has been forthcoming from any of our present Labour councillors who were in power at the time. Shame on them.

Why did they accept a £40 million deficit in the pension fund in their hurry to become a Unitary Authority? Why do we need to find £51 million to stop school buildings from falling down when officials at the Civic Offices should have been aware of the situation when taking over?

£91 million is an awful lot of council tax and had it not been for gross inefficiency by the then Labour Council we would have not been lumbered with these debts.

Not only senior citizens but all council tax payers deserve an explanation so come on Messrs Fanning, D'Avila, Small, Montaut and the rest of you, please let us know why you allowed this to happen.

It is all too easy to blame central Government for not providing sufficient funds but no government irrespective of colour, can be expected to pour more money in when they see how inefficiently it is spent.

R W SELWAY

Stratton St Margaret