I WAS horrified to read that the council is considering the closure of Swindon Dance.

One of the criticisms regularly levelled at Swindon is that it has little culture. I would consider the closure of Swindon Dance, which is one of the town's few artistic successes, as an act of cultural vandalism.

For many years the work of Swindon Dance has been a superb example of what can be achieved by those who are prepared to work hard doing something practical that they believe in while those around them talk incessantly about how bad everything is and what should be done about it! I am a local secondary school teacher and have known Marie McCluskey and some of her staff for over 20 years.

It would be hard to find a more dedicated group of professionals anywhere in the Arts.

Many of my ex-students have studied at the Town Hall and then moved on to follow successful careers in dance. Very many of my current pupils study with Swindon Dance and have nothing but praise for the work which they do there.

As a Swindon council tax payer, teacher and parent, I find it hard to understand how the council can consider shutting what is regarded as a centre of excellence. After the recent Ofsted reports I would have thought that it would have held on tightly to any remaining area of educational success!

As a final point: I pass Gilberts Hill School every day and frequently walk past the sad remains of the Mechanics Institute and cannot help but wonder whether the council's mothballing of the Town Hall would leave yet another of our historic buildings at the mercy of vandals and the weather.

DAVID CALDER

Dixon Street

Swindon