I AM surprised that Mr David Wild, of Clifton Street, Darwen (Letters, January 26), can quote a council report that he has, more than likely, not even read!

If he has read the report, then he will have noted that the ward he lives in, Earcroft, receives the highest overall public sector spend per head of population in the borough.

While Mr Wild deals in negative generalities he does not put forward any positive ideas for extra council spending in Darwen or the cost of this extra expenditure.

Every extra £39,500 the council spends means an extra pound on the council tax. How much would Mr Wild increase council tax by?

While he knocks local councillors, every independent report states that Blackburn with Darwen Council is doing very well. How can this be the case if we are so bad?

As a member of the 'old guard' I have been his democratically elected local councillor for a number of years, but despite receiving regular newsletters he has never contacted me or come along to my regular advice surgeries to suggest how he thinks things could be made better.

It is therefore difficult for Mr Wild to justify his comment that local councillors "have lost a grip on reality" when he cannot even be bothered to contact me about his concerns.

COUN MARY LEAVER (Earcroft Ward, Labour).