Could I suggest an alternative leader to your leader of July 10 attacking increases in allowances to city councillors which reads: Low pay Council shocker exclusive - councillors paid £4.24 and council leader paid £2.33 hourly for council work during 95-97. The information for this is in the public domain and freely available to your reporters. In return for this generous reward Lancaster and Morecambe each has a new market, there's commercial regeneration in central Morecambe, a sports centre at Salt Ayre (reputed to be the finest in the north west), traffic calming and the best record for efficient waste recycling in Lancashire. Well done Lancaster and Morecambe unlike other districts which pay peanuts it looks like you've got a deal!

A G Weymouth

Former resident

The improvements you mention have all been covered in this paper and, guess what? - they happen all the time all over the country - that's what councils do for pity's sake. It's what isn't in the public domain that worries me. The town clerk's statutory entitlement is 3 weeks' pay with 3 months' notice - he is at home being paid until December and getting a year's salary - why? Do you expect us to ignore such questions? Council bosses issue press releases for their successes and keep failures from the public and has the nerve to call us mischief makers! If you want a paper that just blows the council's trumpet buy the Lancaster Guardian - Ed.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.