YOUR leader and the piece by Michael Short both draw attention to the plight of the council over claims against it for compensation, but you both seem to be blaming the claimants or the "no win no fee" law firms for this.

You have both disregarded the years of neglect and sub-standard repairs -- misfeasance and malfeasance -- because whilst we do live in a much more litigious world than hitherto, it is still necessary to prove negligence on the part of the council, in order to win a claim.

If it spent more money maintaining roads and footpaths, then they would need to spend less on public liability insurance.

If my premiums were increasing because of a lot of water damage claims I would fix the hole in the roof that was causing them.

Ironically for our Labour council it was the government of the immediate post war years, that proved the way for people to claim more successfully against both third parties and employers, reforms that were, at the time, long overdue.

KEITH REYNOLDS, Wyre Crescent, Darwen.