Your semi-retired but very detached columnist Shirley Mathias must be the only person in town who does not understand the need to put some distance in time between being chairman of a major council committee and working as an employee in the same department.

The obvious solution, used for many years, is to work for a neighbouring council, which can be done even while still an elected member.

Council officers and political advisers must know the rules, which are not made locally but are the law of the land.

There will be no way to avoid a public enquiry and some very senior people will have to answer searching questions.

I am sure Swindon councillors work as hard as I did when I served in a proper city.

However, I find it difficult to appreciate the unreasoning hatred expressed by many of them for those who do not share their political opinions.

Reading your pages it often seems the town is run like an old inner-city London borough.

KEITH RATCLIFFE

Priory Green

Highworth